


Price of Love

by FlybyStardancer, gatekat



Series: Prices Paid [3]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: M/M, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-05 11:07:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1816342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlybyStardancer/pseuds/FlybyStardancer, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatekat/pseuds/gatekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the fall of Praxus, Prowl and Bluestreak join the Autobots. Neither is ready to meet the twins again when it happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ghosts of the Past

Bluestreak chattered with Mirage as they entered the rec room of Iacon Base 2 and gathered their energon and settled at a table. They had just spent a productive few joors at the sniper range, wanting to get in some practice before the new transfers to the base were settled enough to take it over. Even though Mirage could be a reminder of _that time_ , they had both had to change so much with the onset of the war. Being the top snipers on the base gave them a commonality in the present that allowed Bluestreak to ignore the past.

Ignoring the past was something Bluestreak tried to do a lot of these days. It was simply too painful. The attack on Praxus had been horrific. Bluestreak had been on shift at the time, had tried to help those damaged, but had gotten trapped by debris. He had managed to keep himself from bleeding out and dying from his injuries, but he had spent well over an orn trapped, listening to the cries of those injured, seeing their frames as they died, and unable to help. It was too much, even for his First Responder coding to handle.

Thankfully his creation had survived, and had been a part of the crew that rescued him. Prowl and he had discussed it, but it had been an easy choice afterwards to join the Autobots. It had been during Bluestreak's intake exams that his talent with a rifle had been discovered, and the sniper trainers had insisted that he join them, rather than receiving further training as a medic. The fact that the medical mecha didn't insist when they could have and easily won was more than enough of a clue that his coding was more damaged than even he'd expected.

Medics were needed _far_ more than snipers and the medics didn't really want him.

It had hurt, but Bluestreak had focused on his creation's rapid rise in the ranks to keep his processors off of it. Prowl had been quickly recruited by the tacticians, and had very much found his niche. His experience with the Enforcers had afforded him Officer rank, and it hadn't taken much to go up from there. Currently, he was the officer in charge of the base. As painful as it was that it was necessary, Bluestreak was proud of all Prowl had accomplished.

Bluestreak and Mirage were discussing the qualities of different rifles when there was a loud commotion at the rec room entrance. They both glanced towards it and Bluestreak froze, his sensor wings quivering in distress. It had been a long time, but he could never forget those two frames. They were a lot heavier now, built like frontline warriors, but there was no doubt in Bluestreak's processors that it was Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stalking in. Sunstreaker looked ready to maul someone too, though you'd never know it from the way Sideswipe was greeting anyone he came across on their way to the energon dispensers. Memories crashed through his processor, of happiness and pain and a vorn that he had tried to put behind him but was only partially successful. Along with those were the knowledge of the choices he had made, how he always thought they'd feel about those choices...

It was more than he could take. He had to get away, to not face _them_.

He barely registered getting up or leaving, didn't register the sprint that took him to the maintenance room just off of the armory, or the shaking and silent keens that consumed him once there. It was only when one of his roommates, a bright yellow and perpetually cheerful minibot that went by Bumblebee, found him and started to try and talk that he finally locked onto reality again.

"Bluestreak, talk to me. Silence isn't good on you," Bumblebee was saying, and in the moment it took to understand the glyphs Bluestreak realized that Bumblebee had repeated it several times already.

"I... I can't, Bumblebee," Bluestreak mumbled. "I can't, please. Not with you, at least. No offense. It's just too much. Too much." He shivered, sensor wings trembling.

"Who then?" the youthful mech offered as he squatted in front of Bluestreak's hiding spot.

"My creation," Bluestreak replied, shivering. "He's the one who deserves to know."

Bumblebee got a funny look across his face but pinged the base commander anyway with a note that it was important and about Bluestreak.

Prowl's reply was almost startlingly quick.

::Umm, sir, he's really upset and said he'll only talk to you about it,:: Bumblebee tried to convey the information he had.

::Thank you, Bumblebee. I will be there when this meeting is over. Three breems. Stay with him if you can, please.::

::I will, sir,:: he promised even as he pinged his boss an update and got the soft ping back that he was authorized whatever time was needed.

The Praxian curled up on himself, so unusually quiet for himself. Bluestreak had never been quiet, and had been even more prone to chattering on after what happened in Praxus. The physical noise helped silence the mental noise he didn't want to hear. He listened to Bumblebee's random chatter without really hearing it until a voice as familiar as his own interrupted.

"You may go now, Bumblebee. Thank you for remaining," Prowl told the yellow minibot.

"Any time sir. Family's important," Bumblebee replied and made himself scarce.

"Creator?" Prowl's tone and harmonics shifted. The Autobot officer and Praxian Enforcer were pushed to the background. Speaking now was a mecha concerned for his carrier.

Bluestreak looked up at call, reaching out for the spark that had been dearest to him for nearly all of his adult life. "Prowl. I didn't know... I can't.. _They're_ here," he babbled, voice and field filled with more pain than the younger Praxian had ever felt from him.

"Who, creator?" Prowl asked as he knelt and pulled an unresisting Bluestreak against him. "What did they do?"

"Your sires," Bluestreak whispered brokenly as he clung to Prowl. "I never expected to see them again."

"My sires?" Prowl repeated, dumbfounded by the odds of the pair's survival, then appearance at the base. "Where they mates ... or twins?"

"Twins," Bluestreak said, knowing that Prowl would be able to figure it out from there. Twins were rare enough, and to have them be originally from Crystal City? There was no way that there would be more than one set on base, much less new to base. Bluestreak hung out in the rec room far too much to have missed them for long.

Prowl nodded, his sensor wings twitching in a mix of emotions. "Did they go by Sideswipe and Sunstreaker then?"

"Yes." Pain flared the names. "I don't... I don't know if I can face them."

"I will do what I can to keep your shifts unaligned. I'm afraid I cannot send them away though. I need them too much," Prowl admitted. "They're incredibly valuable as frontliners against the airframes and ground forces alike." He held his carrier for a lingering moment, trying to sooth Bluestreak. "What did they do to you?"

Bluestreak's helm rested on Prowl's shoulder. "Thank you. And they didn't do anything wrong... They were the ones I did contract work for in Crystal City... I read them wrong, thought they felt something they didn't." The pain of rejection was still there, though mostly overridden by self-recrimination.

"You believed they loved you," Prowl didn't need much to work that out. "But if they did nothing wrong, if they didn't love you, how did I come about?"

"The contract was for me to be a surrogate carrier for them," Bluestreak explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "I did, but I thought I loved them... Stayed a metacycle after the separation as a housekeeper. They asked me to join them for interfacing several times in that metacycle, including the last night. It had to have been that night that you were kindled."

Prowl was silent for a long time as he mulled that over. "What was the designation of your first creation?" he asked gently.

"Hot Rod," Bluestreak replied softly. The pain from that loss was softer, less controlling, as Bluestreak relaxed against Prowl.

Again Prowl fell silent, simply holding his creator as he searched databanks. "He's functional as well. An Autobot."

Relief flooded Bluestreak's field. "I haven't seen him since I left Crystal City. Shatterlight saw him once, as a mechling. It wasn't right for me to seek him out, and I had you to focus on."

Prowl nuzzled him. "You were always a good carrier. If you ever want to talk to him, I can arrange it easily enough." He offered, stroking Bluestreak's sensor wings lightly. "If they bother you, come to me, to my office. It will open for you unless I'm in a locked meeting."

Bluestreak nuzzled back. "I don't know if he would even want that, or care," he admitted, giving his creation a squeeze. "Thank you, for everything."

"You are welcome. I will always do what I can for you," Prowl promised softly as they relaxed together for a bit longer.

* * *

"Oh, stop grumbling," Sideswipe chastised his twin as they entered the rec room. "Your finish is _fine_." They had only been on this base for a couple metacycles, but it had quickly become clear who were the mecha best at taking out Seekers. That's who they were meeting, to discuss tactics over their daily energon.

The discussion of how to take a Seeker out of the fight had been enthusiastic, but it soon moved to different topics, general gossip around the base. "Who's usually up for a good time?" Sideswipe asked.

"If it's got doorwings, forget it," Dogfight told them. "Not one of those Praxians wants anything to do with fun."

Sunstreaker snorted, and Sideswipe looked curious. "Any reason why? I didn't think Praxian culture frowned on it."

"Only two of them and they're both weird," Dogfight shrugged. "Prowl's seriously uptight and Bluestreak's ... he's little better than a youngling without that riffle."

"You forgot Smokescreen," Springer pointed out. "He's a riot."

"I'm Praxian," Trailblazer spoke up from the next table over. "Prowl is not that bad, and Bluestreak's a good mecha. Always has been."

Several mecha around them made disbelieving snorts at Trailbreaker's claim or origin as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker glanced at each other. "Bluestreak? Really?" Sunstreaker asked.

"I wonder if it's the same one..." Sideswipe mused. "We knew a Praxian named Bluestreak, briefly."

"It's likely. Know his formal designation?" Trailbreaker asked, to which Sideswipe repeated what had been on the contract. "Same one," Trailbreaker confirmed. "I've known Prowl since I was a sparkling. I went to school with him."

"How are Bluestreak and Prowl connected, then?" Sideswipe asked, curious.

"Prowl's his creation," Trailbreaker said like it was common knowledge, though from a couple startled looks from around hearing range not everyone had gotten the memo.

"How the heck did that happen?" One of the startled mecha asked. "Bluestreak's friendly enough and chatty, and Prowl's _not_."

"What happened to his other creator?" Sideswipe asked, curiously. Through the twin-bond, he could feel Sunstreaker's interest grow slightly, but he was letting the more social twin lead.

"As far as I know, he's never been in the picture," Trailbreaker shrugged. "Whatever happened, it was while Prowl was a very young sparkling. Neither of them ever spoke of it, but at this point I know what sparkbroken at loss looks like. He likely deactivated. If he didn't, he's the worst slag this side of a smelter to leave someone who loved him that much and a brand new creation."

Sunstreaker's engine rumbled angrily. "No creator should _ever_ abandon their creation. Even if he didn't want to be with Bluestreak, he should have been involved in Prowl's life."

"You'll get no arguments here," Trailbreaker raised his hands. "I'll just telling what I know. He wasn't there. I have no clue why."

~Want to try to see him? Would be good to talk to someone familiar,~ Sideswipe commented to Sunstreaker over their bond.

~Yeah, it would be,~ Sunstreaker rumbled in reply.

* * *

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker didn't see Bluestreak for at least a metacycle. They finally caught a glimpse of him when they were in the rec room later than normal, having swapped shifts last-breem with another pair of mecha as a favor to them. Sunstreaker gave his twin a nudge over the bond when he noticed the gray Praxian.

~Finally,~ Sideswipe muttered, tired and frustrated by the effort taking so long and only succeeding by dumb luck. ~Let's go,~ he said as he stood and moved towards the energon dispenser. ~You make sure he doesn't disappear on us. I'll get a cube for everyone.~

Sunstreaker nodded and kept a sharp optic on Bluestreak while his brother moved, then joined Sideswipe to approach the Praxian.

"Hi Bluestreak. Long time no see," Sideswipe said and offered the energon. "Mind if we join you?"

"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker," Bluestreak gasped, sensor wings shooting up in surprise. "Oh, um, hi. I didn't... I guess, but I can't stay long. Was planning on doing some training before my shift."

"Oh. Well, at least stay long enough for energon," Sideswipe offered the cube again and nudged his brother to sit with him. "We heard you survived. One of the lucky ones. How's the army treating you?"

Bluestreak reluctantly accepted the cube, his frame tense. "Okay, I guess. Got trained up as a sniper. I'm consistently in the top five one base, only one of two to be that consistent. What about you two?"

"It's okay," Sideswipe tried to be cheerier than he really was. "Better than being Cons. Still getting used to the whole frontliner idea."

"Are they having you train with Ironhide? I'm really glad I wasn't likely to be put on the frontlines. He's nice enough when I've seen him at the weapons range or in here, but I've heard he's really tough when it comes to close-in fighting and I just wouldn't have been able to handle it," Bluestreak babbled, trying to cover his awkwardness.

"Yeah, he's tough. Believes pain is a good teacher. Can't say he's wrong," Sideswipe admitted. "Have you made any friends here?"

"I'm pretty friendly with a lot of mechs, though only a few that I spend time with consistently. You remember Mirage? He's here and we often try to best each other at the sniper ranges," Bluestreak said. "Have you made any friends here?"

Sunstreaker shrugged noncommittally as Sideswipe gave him a bit of a grin. "We've been chatting with a few mecha. Would like to add you to that list."

"I guess," Bluestreak shifted uneasily. "I mean, chatting is good, but I don't like remembering back then. Memories hurt, you know."

"That's fine," Sideswipe replied easily. "Any good memories from Praxus, or do you not like to think of then either?"

Bluestreak shuddered as his sensor wings folded down, almost completely hidden against his back. Though his optics were bright, they didn't see anything as the clicking whimpers began.

"Apparently not," Sunstreaker muttered as Sideswipe got out of his chair, moving around to place his hand on Bluestreak's shoulder.

"Hey, come back to us," the red mech coaxed, deeply disturbed by the wild fluctuations in Bluestreak's field that spike from terror to despair to incomprehension to horror.

He sent his own field into Bluestreak's radiating safely, and squeezed his shoulder. "Bluestreak? C'mon now, you're safe. Come back to us."

~Comm a medic, afthead. He's in a flashback,~ Sunstreaker told his twin.

~How the frag does someone get stuck in a flashback from a basic question?~ Sideswipe grumbled as he commed medical. The medic on duty, Fix-it made a resigned sound and was on his way.

~How should I know?~ Sunstreaker snapped back.

Fix-it arrived and dropped Bluestreak into medic stasis. "Help me get him back to medbay."

"Sure," Sideswipe replied to the medic, carefully lifting the unresponsive mech.

* * *

~What do you think he's going to do?~ Sideswipe asked uneasily as they made their way to the base CO's office. ~We did send his creator into medical stasis.~

~Hope he's as rational as he's supposed to be,~ Sunstreaker shrugged. ~What's the worst he can do, send us to the brig?~

~Send us into a trap,~ Sideswipe muttered. ~He's not just the CO, he's the head tactician too. The mecha who makes the plans.~

~We didn't do _that_ much damage. Bluestreak's fine now!~ Sunstreaker objected as they pinged for admittance to the CO's office. The door opened.

"Enter." The normally flat voice was tight with anger and the twins obeyed cautiously and stood at attention before the black and white Praxian. Ice blue optics locked onto them and sensor wings were held in a tight V framing his helm. "Do you know why you're here?"

"We accidentally triggered an episode in one of our fellow Autobots that caused him to require medical stasis," Sideswipe replied truthfully. The two of them watched carefully, their skills at reading mecha working overtime in trying to figure out how much trouble they were in, and how best to soothe the angry commander. He wouldn't be the first irrationally angry mecha they'd dealt with, just the highest ranked so far.

"Not just a fellow Autobot," Prowl growled at them. "My carrier. A mecha who has been trying very hard to avoid you. One you cornered when you should have been on duty."

"We didn't...." Sunstreaker protested, only to snap his jaw shut at the deadly glare that focused on him. Ice blue optics were uncomfortable at best to those with warrior training thanks to how close they were to the white associated with berserker insanity, and Prowl's had currently brightened to white.

"Wait, he's been _trying_ to avoid us?" Sideswipe drew the CO's attention away from his more volatile brother and hoped his honest confusion came across. "Why?"

"Because you hurt him terribly in your final encounter in Crystal City," Prowl bit out, much to the twins' growing confusion.

"But that was over a hundred centuries ago!" Sideswipe replied. "And obviously he found love again," he added motioning to Prowl.

"No, he didn't." Prowl snapped at him. "He barely dated and never connected with anyone. He raised me alone because my sires rejected him," those accusatory white-bright optics pinned the pair. "From what I've seen of Hot Rod, I was better off for it, even if he wasn't."

The twins stared at him, frozen for several kliks in utter incomprehension of what Prowl was saying.

"He...?" Sideswipe started.

"What are you trying to say?" Sunstreaker demanded.

"You are my sires." Prowl said bluntly. "I was kindled during that last spark merge before you made it clear you didn't want him."

"He didn't even...?" Sideswipe began, before being cut off by Sunstreaker's rumbled, "What are you trying to imply about Hot Rod?"

"He is immature, arrogant, reckless, completely without value to society despite his education and all but useless as anything but cannon fodder to the army," Prowl rattled off his assessment. "He doesn't even have your talent for violence or airborne maneuvers."

"Don't talk about him when you don't even _know_ the full story," Sunstreaker snarled, defensive of the creation they had raised. Only Sideswipe's hand clamped on him kept him in place and the aggression didn't even cause Prowl to twitch.

"Have you even _met_ him?" Sideswipe asked, calmer than his twin but just as angry at Prowl's pronouncement. "Or found out what he was like before the war before you passed judgment? None of us are the same as we were."

"No, no one is undamaged," Prowl agreed coldly. "Whatever he was, it produced nothing he or his trainers felt worth including in his file. He had no _function_ , no skills of any value anywhere in the army. Do you grasp how difficult that is?"

"What? You think we should have raised him with surviving a war in mind?" Sideswipe countered. "He was becoming a slagging good salesmech. We could barely keep up with him even as a sparkling. That those officers haven't found anything is because they haven't been _looking_ , or seeing the potential in what they do find!"

The pair weren't sure what to make of the abrupt and radical shift in Prowl demeanor. He went from stiff but furious to calm and focused between sparkbeats and it reached all the way to his field.

"What would he be good at?" Prowl asked evenly.

"Get him doing positive interactions with mecha, for a _purpose_ ," Sideswipe replied. "He was fragging great at discussing prices, with clients or suppliers. Could read a mech and tell when to push and when pushing would end in a loss."

"Soldiers are not rewarded with less supervision and more responsibility by blowing off what duties they do have," Prowl pointed out. "I will see if he wants a transfer into acquisitions or interrogation, though unless his attitude changes he won't get any further there than he is now."

"How come we were never told?" Sideswipe asked after a few kliks. "Bluestreak _knew_ we wanted sparklings, and had the resources to care for them."

"Yes, you wanted sparklings _and not him_ ," Prowl glared, his anger flaring black to life. "He knew the courts would take me away for you to raise and he'd never see me again. It would be just like Hot Rod, only without the pay. Carrier rights mean nothing against your wealth and connections."

Sunstreaker rumbled with a slow-building anger, but Sideswipe couldn't counter what Prowl said. If they had known, they would have pushed for custody. It would have seemed the best thing to do, to have the second sparkling with his brother, and with the creators that could better financially support him.

That still didn't ease the sense of betrayal and anger. They _should_ have been told, they had every right to have been told.

Prowl's optics narrowed and he rumbled back in a form of hate that was slowly building inside him. "You really would have. You would have taken a creation from his carrier, a carrier perfectly able to care for him, just because you think you were better than he was."

"What would you have expected us to do?" Sunstreaker growled out before Sideswipe clamped onto him.

"Honored your contract and honored that you didn't want him," Prowl snapped at him. "When you rejected him you lost all claim to everything in his frame."

"We wouldn't have denied him as your carrier, but see it from our perspective," Sideswipe replied. "We were already taking time off from our business to devote to Hot Rod as primary caretakers. You would have been raised with your brother as a companion, and had the highest quality energon and upgrades available."

"Without the carrier who chose to keep me, raise me, because he wanted and loved me," Prowl hissed. "Without my _family_. I learned what hard work was, the value of community and the value of my skills to _help_ those around me. What would you have taught me? The value of credits and that wealth mattered?"

"We were trying to be _generous_ with a young mech that seemed to be having trouble letting go of the sparkling he carried," Sideswipe replied hotly. "Yes, we made mistakes, but that doesn't change the intent."

Prowl stilled, his temper cooled quickly as the statement confused him briefly.

"And you think we didn't work hard? You have _no_ fragging clue how much we had to work to build the life we had. It wasn't handed to us on a decorated platter," Sideswipe continued.

"You two show a work ethic. The mecha you raised does not," Prowl shot back. "How does your generosity to a young mecha change that you lost all claim to his creation when you rejected him?"

"Give it up, Sideswipe," Sunstreaker snarled. "He's convinced we're monsters and nothing will change that."

Prowl's sensor wings twitched at that and he paused. "I do not believe you are monsters."

"Yeah? Well, you're certainly giving a good impression that you do," Sunstreaker retorted. "Whatever we say is obviously the worst thing possible."

"You glitched my carrier." Prowl pointed out, visibly forcing himself to calm. "I'm angry about that. I'm furious that you'd have taken me from him. Neither is relevant to my opinion of you as mecha."

"Causing him to glitch was an accident. We were trying to find out what he would be okay talking about, and had no clue that 'didn't like to think about' was code for 'about to glitch'," Sideswipe replied, a bit hopeful at the way Prowl continued to calm down.

"And _we_ just found out that we had a creation that we had never known about, and never had a chance to raise," Sunstreaker rumbled. "You think we _wouldn't_ be upset about that?"

"I did not think about it at all. I only learned who my sires were when Bluestreak broke down after he first saw you a metacycle ago," Prowl explained more calmly.

"Look, we still want to apologize to him," Sideswipe took the calmer mood to hopefully make some inroads. "He was a good mech when we knew him. Not many left that we knew."

"Most of them are here too," Sunstreaker snorted. "Speaking of, Trailbreaker said he's Praxian."

"He is, legally, if not by frame," Prowl nodded. "Carrier was Praxian and he separated in Praxus. He took after his sire." He paused and regarded Sideswipe for a long moment. "Very well. You may apologize in medbay. If he does not want to see you again, you will respect that."

"Thank you. We will," Sideswipe replied softly.

* * *

Sunstreaker stood behind his brother, watching CMO Ratchet run the final checks on Bluestreak. The mech looked peaceful like this, relaxed and calm, and in a strange way so did Prowl as he stood by the head of the berth and stroked Bluestreak's chevron as warm blue optics powered up.

"Hello," Prowl said softly, his thumb still caressing the gray Praxian's bright red chevron. "Feeling stable?"

"Yes," Bluestreak replied, tilting his helm into the touch slightly. "What happened?"

"You glitched into a flashback," Prowl said quietly and nudged Bluestreak's attention towards the twins. "They know better now. They wished to apologize, if you let them."

"Oh," he murmured, shifting uneasily as he looked at the pair. "I guess so. I mean it's not like they meant to. It's okay...."

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, say your piece," Prowl's voice was low, calm and more permission than command.

"Look, we're really sorry for what happened," Sideswipe started off.

"We were trying to find a subject that wouldn't set off bad memories," Sunstreaker added quietly.

"Much less what actually happened," Sideswipe added, hesitating a moment, before continuing on. "And for what it's worth, we're sorry for hurting you, when you left Crystal City. We didn't realize how strongly you felt about us."

Bluestreak nodded slowly. "I know you didn't meant to hurt me. Memory loops are kinda random sometimes, but I really can't think about much of Prowl's life without hitting one now. I wish it wasn't so serious, but I'm getting better. It takes time, you know, to recover from trauma."

"We know," Sunstreaker replied quietly.

"Would you be willing to try hanging out again?" Sideswipe asked, tentatively hopeful. "We promise to let you pick the subjects, so this doesn't happen again."

Bluestreak tensed, causing Prowl to tense, which made Ratchet tense. Yet he slowly nodded. "I ... I guess so. You were nice when you were trying to be. But why bother with the one mecha that has so much bad history with you? I mean I annoy _everybody_ within a couple breems. Even Bumblebee needs a break from me after a while. I'm broken."

"Creator," Prowl said softly.

"And you think we aren't?" Sideswipe asked with a shrug. "Mecha _avoid_ Sunstreaker when they can. They're more accepting of me when I'm on my own, but that doesn't happen often."

"Why?" Bluestreak asked with a look at the yellow twin. "I mean, you were never as social as Sideswipe, but you weren't bad unless somebody interrupted your work and you always made that hard to do."

"Ever seen a frontliner glitch in battle?" Sunstreaker rumbled with a humorless smile. "Or _out_ of battle?"

"We're not the same as we were," Sideswipe explained. "We're both far more aggressive, and Sunny's got less control over it."

"Don't call me that," Sunstreaker snarled ineffectually at the nickname.

"Berserkers," Prowl said simply.

"Oh," Bluestreak mumbled as comprehension hit. "What happened? I mean, something had to cause it. Stuff like that doesn't just _happen_."

"Battle damage," Sunstreaker shrugged. "A few too many shots to the helm."

"Or landing on them," Sideswipe added. "I'm guessing you don't know our rep for jet judo, but sometimes the landing is pretty hard and not so controlled."

Bluestreak stared at them for a moment. "Somehow I get the feeling that I don't want to know what 'jet judo' is. Even from just that it sounds incredibly dangerous. How do you even get away with it?"

"We're _good_." Sunstreaker gave a vicious grin.

"It makes us the only grounder frontliners that can take out Seekers," Sideswipe replied with a grin. "Not many can handle them to begin with."

"But how do you get up there? I mean, you're _grounders_ like me. How...."

"Part rotor, remember," Sideswipe tapped his shoulder. "Jetpack."

"Sometimes a flier will give us a lift too," Sunstreaker grunted. "Sometimes they fly low enough to just jump and grab, or jump down from a building. Lots of ways to catch a Seeker."

Before Bluestreak could ask another question, Prowl made a noise to catch their attention. "That is enough for the moment. Bluestreak should rest, and both of you need to recharge for your next duty shift. You may chat again later."

"Aww, okay, sir," Sideswipe caught the protective instinct rising in Prowl as the core cause. "Later Blue. Maybe now we won't have opposing shifts so much?"

"Maybe," Bluestreak replied, still a bit unsure but more willing to give them a chance. The twins gave him hopeful smiles and left before Prowl could become agitated enough to lift his sensor wings.

"Where would you rest best?" Prowl asked.

"I can rest in my room if you'd prefer," Bluestreak replied softly. "I don't want to intrude on your time off."

"Bluestreak, you are my creator. If recharging in my quarters will be easier for you, you are welcome." He gave a small smile. "I like having you close."

"It helps me remember that you're here and okay," Bluestreak admitted, smiling at the truth about Prowl's own recharge.

"Then recharge in my quarters," Prowl said with quiet insistence as he helped Bluestreak to stand. "You're always welcome there."

* * *

It was a couple decaorns later that Bluestreak tried spending time with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker over energon. The conversation had been even more awkward than the first time, with the twins struggling to come up with something that wouldn't send Bluestreak back to medical and Bluestreak not doing any better on topics for them. He babbled. He shifted. He talked nonsense just to keep the words going.

Eventually Bluestreak had suggested that they go down to the firing range instead, for a bit of friendly competition. The twins had jumped at the opportunity. Less talking and more action was always a good thing for them.

Thus the three found themselves in three stations of the pistol firing range along with half a dozen other mecha with pistols and targets. Neither twin missed that Bluestreak had selected a level only one below the most difficult and seemed to be completely confident with it.

~I didn't know snipers practiced with pistols that much,~ Sideswipe hummed, more than a bit turned on by the confidence. It was a visceral, fundamental shift in the Praxian as he picked up the pistol and they both saw what he was in the field. Silent, focused, absolutely deadly.

It was a far cry from the nervous, babbling mech they had seen here on base. It was even better than the young, naive mech they had known in Crystal City.

~Much of the skills probably transfer,~ Sunstreaker replied back, taking in every detail of Bluestreak's form.

Once he was done with his set, Bluestreak turned towards them and grinned. "Think you two can match that?"

"Sure," Sideswipe gave a cocky grin, but the words were enough to draw attention from around the range. Even Mirage, down towards the end, stepped back and leaned further back to confirm who was so confident they were a better shot than Bluestreak.

~We're nowhere close to that good,~ Sunstreaker huffed, but watched as his brother set up for a sequence at the same difficulty level.

~Since when do you give up on a challenge?~ Sideswipe shot back even as he settled himself and began the set.

Sunstreaker held his peace until his brother was done. It wasn't a bad set given the difficulty level, but it was nowhere near as good as Bluestreak's. ~It's not giving up to admit you are massively outclassed.~

~Yeah? Then what are you gonna do?~ Sideswipe asked as he gave Sunstreaker room to set up.

"I thought you said you were going to match me," Bluestreak teased the red twin, having expected that Sideswipe wouldn't.

"Off round," Sideswipe shrugged. He was well aware of the small gathering that their contest had acquired.

~My best, but not pretend I'm better than the sniper extraordinaire,~ Sunstreaker huffed back. Yet he took his place without a word about not pulling off a better score and went to work.

"Sure it was," Bluestreak teased him, sensor wings fluttering a little. "You just don't want to admit you can't keep up."

"Sure, whatever you need to say to feel good," Sideswipe winked at him playfully and felt better than he had in vorns. He glanced at the crowd. "So who _is_ the best with the pistol on base?"

"Prowl, when he has time to spend here on the range," Bluestreak replied, pride filling his field. "I come a close second, though."

"Inherited your talent with targeting, did he?" Sideswipe suggested as Sunstreaker finished his set. It was just above average, which was good for him. He'd always been better with his hands than at range.

"That, and I think his tactical computer helps too, especially out in the field when there's a lot more variables affecting things," Bluestreak said. "He'd probably be good at sniping too, but they need him in tactical more." The sniper stepped up, preparing for his second set and bumped the difficulty up to the max.

"How'd you find out you were so good at this?" Sideswipe asked while Bluestreak took shots.

"They were assessing our various skills on intake," Bluestreak replied even as he continued to shoot, the conversation seemingly not affecting his performance. "The officer assessing me couldn't believe I hadn't used a gun before, with how well I did on the shooting tests."

"Ever tried for a pilot's license?" Sideswipe asked. "If it's linked to your family's spark gift, you'd probably do very well at that too."

"I hadn't ever thought about it," Bluestreak replied as he finished his set, the display showing the highest score the twins had seen. "There you go, a new challenge," he said, grinning up at Sideswipe.

"Maybe if you let us add our scores together we might manage that," Sunstreaker snickered at the trickle of _oh slag_ across the bond.

"A team effort, then?" Bluestreak giggled, sounding the closest to _normal_ that anyone there had heard from him since he came on base. "Would you rather try that, Sideswipe?"

The red frontliner gave a death-glare to his brother, but huffed at the unrepentant grin he got for it and made a fuss of checking his weapon. "Yeah, sure. If it helps Sunny here feel better."

"Don't call me that!" Sunstreaker snapped, but even those who didn't know the pair picked up it wasn't going to be enforced.

"Sure thing, Sunshine," Sideswipe gave him a smirk before stepping up to the range and settling in to do his best.

"How much firearm training have you two had?" Bluestreak asked Sunstreaker curiously as they watched Sideswipe struggle.

"Just the basic frontliner course. We don't use them much," Sunstreaker answered. "We're both up close and personal types."

Bluestreak hummed at that. "How did you get tapped for being frontliners?"

"By the time we enlisted, we were good at it," Sunstreaker said grimly. "Kaon's gladiator pits are good teachers. No way to deny it when it was Autobots who pulled us out."

Bluestreak's sensor wings wilted a bit at that. "I'm sorry. That had to have been hard," he said softly.

"At first," Sunstreaker trembled, but it was Sideswipe who showed the obvious reaction to his brother's turmoil in several wide misses.

"Then you become numb to it. Then you understand the benefits past survival. Then you start to enjoy it," Sideswipe finished, no longer paying attention to the set. "After four vorns we lived well, for gladiators. Saw Megatron quite a few times, but we couldn't be controlled well enough to be set loose on a battlefield."

"Still aren't," someone muttered.

"You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to," Bluestreak said, hands and field automatically reaching out to soothe what he knew couldn't be.

"No secrets involved. It's all in our public records," Sunstreaker shrugged. "Just not a favored set of memories."

Sideswipe flicked a covert glance towards the crowd. "You're going to win anyway, Bluestreak. Why don't we do something else?" He suggested as he placed a black hand on Sunstreaker's arm to encourage him to break his glare from the crowd.

"Yeah, okay," Bluestreak agreed readily. "Why don't you two pick this time?"

"Racing?" Sideswipe suggested, knowing it was one of the few things that could almost always snap his brother out of a _mood_. "Get some good road beneath our wheels."

"Racing sounds good. That's something that we have in common," Bluestreak replied as they moved towards the range door.

* * *

Bluestreak was a bit confused as he entered Prowl's quarters. His orn with the twins had gone fine, so the sniper wasn't sure what his creation wanted to talk to him about. The uneasy look Prowl gave him, imperceptible to most, did nothing to ease his nerves.

"I've asked ... I need to apologize, creator," Prowl began, his sensor wings drooping. "I should not have said anything, but I was so angry, I wanted to hurt them."

Bluestreak's sensor wings flared in surprise as he came up to Prowl, reaching out to grasp his forearms. "Apologize for what, my love? Hurt who?"

"Sideswipe and Sunstreaker," Prowl looked at him in the optics. "After they glitched you. I told them they were my sires."

Bluestreak froze, everything flaring in shock. "You... They..." He began to tremble, armor plates rattling. "They must hate me!"

"From how today went, I would assess that as incorrect," Prowl retreated to his tac-net a bit. "They knew before you were brought out of stasis."

"But... but.. How could they _not_?!" Bluestreak exclaimed, now hanging onto Prowl to anchor him. "I knew, I _knew_ how much they wanted sparklings, how much of a betrayal it would be, but I kept you from them anyways!"

"I do not know," Prowl admitted. "I do know their behavior indicates they do not. If it is important to know, you must ask them."

Bluestreak shut off his optics, sensor wings drooping. "I... I don't know if I could. Everything is so fragile... What if bringing it up only makes it worse?"

"I can be there, or you can act as they are acting and forget that they know," Prowl suggested. "I am sorry I told them, and now that I told you. No good ever comes of my temper."

"Don't be sorry," Bluestreak whispered, wrapping his arms around Prowl. "They needed to know. I was being selfish and couldn't." He rested his chevron guard on Prowl's shoulder. "It might be easier, pretending like they don't know."

"It is your call. You know I will support any choice you make," Prowl said softly.


	2. First Steps Forward

Bluestreak hated battles. Hated them with a passion only exceeded by his hated of the Decepticons who had destroyed his home and life and were well on their way to destroying all of Cybertron. Now he had a very personal reason to hate them more. His twins were out there, taking the brunt of the heavy hitters. At least before now he didn't have anyone on the front line. Prowl, even when he was out in battle, wasn't flanking the Prime or taking on Devastator.

He did all he could, picking off Decepticons who got too close, but as often as not he didn't have a shot or was ordered to target elsewhere. He knew Prowl wasn't keeping him from protecting the twins, not intentionally. Prime had to be protected and key targets fired on. Bluestreak understood that. He just didn't like it.

He was proud of them, how they were handling themselves. He could see what they meant about having been in the gladiator pits. When they came into contact with the enemy, they took them apart viciously. As awful as it seemed, it kept the Prime safe.

It made him ache too, for the gentle, compassionate, creative pair that he'd known before. They hadn't been exaggerating when they said they'd changed. He saw that in every battle.

He saw it coming too, the nightmare, even before they did. He fired on Devastator, making precise hits that if he scored enough could break the gestalt apart. He wasn't making them quick enough, though. One foot smashed into Sideswipe, knocking him to the ground. And then landed on him, crushing part of his body.

"No," Bluestreak whispered, emotions rising up, clouding his judgment as he began to fire in earnest.

::Bluestreak! Relocate!:: Prowl's distress broke into his frantic firing as Devastator began to break apart and he realized that his creation had been calling to him for some time.

He didn't think about the order, he just moved. His last glimpse of Sunstreaker as he scrambled from his perch was the yellow mech roaring, launching into a frenzied attack on the green mecha tumbling out of their gestalt form.

::Moving. Priorities?:: Bluestreak responded to Prowl.

::Cover and view. Snipe at will.:: Prowl calmed back to his normal flat tone as Bluestreak moved.

"Acknowledged," Bluestreak said, focusing on getting to a new perch. He was distantly aware of a medic reaching Sideswipe and pulling him off the battlefield, so Bluestreak focused on keeping the absolute berserker that was Sunstreaker safe. The rest of the battle was a blur, seemingly taking no time at all while simultaneously dragging on far too long.

As soon as he got back to base, the Praxian rushed straight to the medbay. He had to know how Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were doing. He slipped around the organized chaos that was post-battle. A gray frame that Bluestreak tried not to let himself identify other than it wasn't Sideswipe. Medics working frantically on the most badly damaged. Many, many mecha sitting, leaning against walls or laying unattended on berths.

Sunstreaker was among the last type, which meant he was badly damaged but not critical. What he didn't see was Sideswipe. An aid stopped him on his way to Sunstreaker's side. "Sniper Bluestreak, were you injured in the battle?"

"No, I need to check on Sideswipe. Where is he? I know he was badly injured."

"He is in a dedicated surgery room," the aid replied kindly. "We're really very busy. If you don't need medical attention, I really must ask you to leave."

"But ... when will Sunstreaker be released?" He looked at the battered yellow frame but didn't resist being guided away.

"In a few joor, after medics have been freed up enough to work on him," the aid reassured him.

Bluestreak nodded, reluctant to leave but not wanting to be a bother. It wasn't long before his wandering found him at Prowl's office door, starting at it. He didn't want to be a bother here either, knowing how much work his creation had after a battle, but he needed to not be alone.

He ended up pinging an entry request, and wasn't surprised when the door opened for him. "I'm really sorry Prowl. I needed to be around someone and didn't know where else to go. Do you mind if I just sit in here for a while? You don't need to stop your work for me."

"Of course, creator," Prowl looked up at him with warm concern and motioned him to take a seat. "You know my door is always open for you, and you know I can work and listen to you at the same time."

"I'm just really concerned for how Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are doing, especially Sideswipe. I wasn't allowed to stay in the medbay with them, and I couldn't even see Sideswipe because apparently they had him in a surgery room," Bluestreak explained as he sat in his usual seat, sensor wings drooping.

"I do not know either," Prowl admitted. "Sideswipe was listed as critical when he was taken off the battlefield and Ratchet hasn't changed it yet. Sunstreaker should be fine so long as his twin survives. My understanding is that split-spark twins do not outlive each other."

"That's my understanding, though even if they could, I don't think Sunstreaker would be able to emotionally handle losing Sideswipe," Bluestreak said softly. "He doesn't handle it well when Sideswipe gets hurt. Sideswipe had to be hospitalized once while I was carrying Hot Rod for them... Sunstreaker was hard to live with until Sideswipe was released, and that was with sire coding to temper it some when it came to me."

"From their records, most base commanders put the other either in the brig or under house arrest when one was injured," Prowl said as he continued to work on reports. "I intend to hold off doing that until after Sunstreaker warrants it on this base."

"I can't see you needing to make it an order," Bluestreak said softly. "If he hasn't radically changed, Sunstreaker's going to want to be away from the others anyways."

"Even by their own accounts, they have nothing in common with the mecha they were. Though given Sunstreaker has withdrawn even more, it is likely correct. Unfortunately, with so many down, I cannot give him a pass on duty shifts. I can only assign him duties unlikely to put him in close quarters and trust he will not seek trouble on his own."

Bluestreak shook his helm. "They're not the same mechs they were, but the core of who they are is still there," he countered. "If he has to be paired with someone, it would probably be better to pick someone that won't provoke him or cringe away."

"You do realize that the list of mecha who fill that qualification and are on base is precisely zero?" Prowl regarded his creator, a mecha that so often seemed much younger than he was. "It would be my preference. I have to deal with what I have available, which means solitary duties."

"Not zero," Bluestreak countered quietly. "Just maybe not that get put on the same assignments," he added, attempting to tease his creation.

Prowl raised an optic ridge. "Who does not provoke him?"

"He hasn't gone off at me, not that I've seen," Bluestreak replied.

Prowl focused fully on his creator. "You are not stable enough to risk. If he does snap, you are also not capable of defending yourself."

Bluestreak shrugged his sensor wings. "You said that there was no one on base who wouldn't provoke him or be too afraid of him. I was countering that specific point." He gave Prowl a tremulous smile.

"Conceded," Prowl inclined his sensor wing and offered a small smile. "I was not precise enough in my requirements. My overall point still stands. The mecha who share his duty types are not safe to assign to him."

"I wish that wasn't so," Bluestreak said softly. "He's not a bad mech."

"Bad, no," Prowl agreed with a sigh. "Damaged by the war in a way that makes him all but non-viable once the war is over, regretfully yes. They both have the kind of battle damage that makes them too dangerous to ever be among a general civilian population."

Bluestreak didn't reply to that, but he couldn't help but hope that Prowl was wrong. That the twins could heal enough to have a life if this war ever ended.

The Praxian sniper stayed in Prowl's office until the younger mech was called away for a meeting. Bluestreak realized he was running low on fuel, so he made his way to the rec room, hoping that he would hear an update on the twins soon. He was sitting in the room, listening to the chatter, when a scuffed, stiff and white-opticked Sunstreaker stalked in and silenced the room. Mecha near his path to the dispenser scooted a bit further out of the way and _everyone_ kept a sharp watch on the frontliner until he had left with his cube.

It wasn't hard to see the fear the other mecha had for Sunstreaker, or hear their muttering about him. None of them seemed to notice the distress in his optics.

Bluestreak stood abruptly and followed the yellow twin. He _couldn't_ just allow Sunstreaker to suffer. He wasn't ignorant of the shocked whispers or the couple mecha who called to him, trying to warn him off. He ignored them. They didn't know Sunstreaker like he did. They hadn't even tried.

He hurried to try to close the distance between himself and Sunstreaker, and called out to him as the older mech stepped through the door to what must have been his quarters.

"What?" Sunstreaker snarled as he whirled on Bluestreak, armor flexing aggressively.

"I ... umm ... it's good to see you out of medbay," Bluestreak stammered. "Maybe I can help fix your finish?"

The frontliner made a noise of angry disbelief, but stepped aside to allow Bluestreak to enter anyways. The Praxian was startled for a moment, but scurried inside before Sunstreaker could change his mind.

"So, why don't you drink your energon while I collect what we need?" Bluestreak offered. "You'll need some dents removed, a long shower and plenty of wax and polish."

Sunstreaker didn't move to follow his suggestion. Instead he loomed over the Praxian. "Why are you doing this? Why do you care?" he rumbled dangerously. "Aren't you afraid I'll snap and rip you apart? Everyone else is."

"I never stopped caring for both of you," Bluestreak countered softly.

"Even the monster?" Sunstreaker challenged, though he was calming down slightly.

"You aren't a monster. Neither of you are monsters. I'm damaged too, remember? I _know_ how much it hurts to be seen as less than a full mecha because of something you can't control," Bluestreak stood up to him while keeping his frame language passive. "I can see it in your optics. You're still in that battle. Probably will be until he's at your side again. I can't fill that need, but I can give you something besides his absence to focus on."

Sunstreaker reached out, grabbing Bluestreak by the upper arms and pulling him in close. He was utterly still for a klik, before his helm came down to press their forehelms together, his optics off. Armor began to rattle, and Bluestreak realized he was hanging on to anchor himself. "I need him," Sunstreaker whispered brokenly.

"I know," Bluestreak murmured, his tone soft as he did what he could to stroke Sunstreaker in an effort to sooth him. "He'll be back."

It was too much for the artist-turned-frontliner. He broke, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around Bluestreak's waist. He hung on for dear life as raw emotions poured out of him, vorns of anger and fear and loneliness coming out in a raging flood that surged and buffeted against Bluestreak. The Praxian stood steadily, his hand on Sunstreaker's shoulders as he slowly realized that his own horrific trauma and the steps he'd taken to overcome it was now allowing him to cope with the torrent he was facing now. He also realized that for all Sunstreaker had Sideswipe, the yellow mech had never truly _processed_ what he had gone through.

It was several breems before Sunstreaker began to subside, emotionally exhausted and leaning on Bluestreak to keep upright. It felt good to be someone's support, rather than the one needing it. It felt very, very good.

With small coos and gentle hands, he got Sunstreaker to stand, and onto the double berth, where he climbed in with him. The yellow mech's only response was to wrap his powerful arms around Bluestreak once more and to slip into much-needed recharge.

* * *

Sunstreaker was deep in recharge when Bluestreak slipped out of the berth to retrieve rations for them both. Sunstreaker still had one from the evening, but he'd need more. Bluestreak could only hope that Sunstreaker woke before Bluestreak had to go to his shift. This soon after a battle no one could be spared. Half the personnel were on light duty or worse, which left Bluestreak with patrols, no matter how much Prowl despised sending him on them.

"Hey Blue! You're looking pretty good for a mech that went after Sunstreaker," a mech called out as he walked into the rec room. "How come you're not in the medbay?"

"Because I didn't insult him," Bluestreak shrugged as he headed for the dispenser. "He's only dangerous if you don't respect him."

"You kidding me?" a red minibot, one an ID ping identified as Cliffjumper, burst out. "That mech is crazy!"

Bluestreak gave him a withering look. "Which proves my point. You insult him and he's mean back. Behave like you have at least a sparkling's level of social skills and he's fine."

"Didn't you see him in the battle yesterday? No sane mecha fights like that," the first mecha responded. "We thought for sure he'd continue it with you."

"I saw you in battle too. You weren't any different, launching an assault on Brawl," Bluestreak said sweetly as he filled one cube, and began on the second.

"Hey, I was in control of myself the entire time," Steelvice defended himself. "Sunstreaker was clearly out of control. No one home upstairs."

"So you say," Bluestreak shrugged as he collected the cubes, subspaced them and walked out.

* * *

It had been several long orns since the battle, and Bluestreak had spent as much of it as he could with Sunstreaker. When they weren't on duty shifts they did some racing, but spent most of their time in the twins' quarters. There were attempts at conversation, mostly in the form of Bluestreak chattering about anything that came to his processor, as well as distracting Sunstreaker with video games that the twins had managed to acquire.

However, they were simply quiet on the couch when Sunstreaker suddenly sat up. "He's awake. I can feel him."

Bluestreak's sensor wings perked up immediately. "That's great. How is he feeling?"

"Like slag," Sunstreaker rumbled, though Bluestreak could feel the relief in his field. "And that with Ratchet still having pain blockers up. Ratchet's with him now."

"Do you think maybe you could visit? I mean, Ratchet must understand how important it is for you to _see_ and touch ASAP," Bluestreak rattled.

"Ratchet says yes, but only for a few breems," Sunstreaker replied, quickly standing up. The sooner he could get in and see for himself, the better.

"Want me to be here or gone when he kicks you out?" Bluestreak asked as Sunstreaker made it to the door.

Sunstreaker paused there, surprising himself with the trepidation he felt at the idea that Bluestreak might not be there. He hadn't realized how much he had been depending on the Praxian, or how much he had craved being near someone who didn't fear him. "...Here, please," he said quietly.

"I'll be here then," Bluestreak promised, and with that the demands of seeing his brother took over Sunstreaker's focus and he hurried to the medbay. No one was dumb enough to get in his way, not that he was likely to have noticed if they had. Once there the medics present didn't try to kick him out, instead one guided him to the recovery room where Ratchet and Sideswipe were.

"Sideswipe," he said as soon as he saw his twin, tension bleeding from his frame at the reasonably intact appearance and cheery grin.

"You're looking better than usual," Sideswipe grinned at him and motioned to the chair.

Sunstreaker took it, grabbing Sideswipe's hand and holding it tightly. "Had help keeping me from going off," he admitted quietly. "Don't get so slagged again."

"It's not like it was my plan," Sideswipe grinned up and squeezed Sunstreaker's hand. "So who'd you frag into the berth?"

"Bluestreak, but we weren't fragging," Sunstreaker replied, staring at their joined hands instead of Sideswipe's face.

"Bluestreak ... how _that_ happen?" Sideswipe half sat up to look at his brother more seriously. "What were you doing?"

"After I was kicked out, I got energon and headed for our quarters. He followed me," Sunstreaker explained. "Racing, sometimes. Your video games, or reading. He talked a lot."

"Well, that never changes," Sideswipe chuckled. "But seriously, did he say why? I mean, we've been getting along well enough, but you're a terror to deal with when I'm down."

Sunstreaker shrugged. ~Said he still cared. That the way others view him is similar to how they treat me.~ He still didn't know how much he believed, but he couldn't deny that he _wanted_ Bluestreak to be sincere.

~But he's such a good shot, and he's nice. How can anyone think he's not good for anything but beating on things?~ Sideswipe was somewhere between shocked and angry for Bluestreak. ~He's nothing like us that way. He ... he's actually got a future. After the war.~

~And remember how he glitched out when you so much as mentioned Praxus?~ Sunstreaker reminded him. ~How he can barely allow himself to access memories from before he joined the Autobots?~

~Yeah, but he's not _dangerous_.~ Sideswipe tried to emphasize the difference, then sighed at his brother's stare.

~Dangerous or not, how functional would he be in civilian life?~ Sunstreaker countered.

~Not very, but he's got a chance. Same as Hot Rod does. We don't anymore, and everybody knows it.~ Sideswipe sighed.

Sunstreaker had no reply to that, only brought his twin's hand up to cup it against his cheek. ~Need you to be outta here as soon as you can.~

~Soon. Ratchet said a few orns. I think he'll let you stay now, if you just stay.~ Sideswipe caressed his brother's cheek. ~It'll be nice to have you here when I boot up next.~

~I'll stay as long as I can,~ Sunstreaker promised, leaning into the touch and opening a comm to Bluestreak so that the Praxian wouldn't expect him back soon.

* * *

Twin voices roared in overload as current surged through their frames, Sunstreaker's transfluid spilling into Sideswipe's valve. It was several long kliks before they began to relax, the yellow twin going strutless on top of his brother. "Missed you," he muttered, burying his face in the red mech's neck.

"Glad to be out. Medbays suck," Sideswipe replied.

"That they do," Sunstreaker agreed without moving. "Hate not having you with me. Nothing's right when you're gone."

"Mmm, mutual," Sideswipe said, resting his cheek against his brother's helm. "You seemed to do better this time, though."

"Yeah, Blue helped," he murmured. "He was ... nice. Kept me distracted."

"Not just distracted. You seemed calmer than I've felt you being in a long time, with me in medical," the older twin said, his tone curious.

"I ... guess," Sunstreaker murmured. "He's not afraid of me. He understands too, kinda. What it's like to have scrambled code."

"Been awhile since someone besides me wasn't afraid of you," Sideswipe commented. As one they shifted, uncoupling their interface equipment and sliding panels closed before settling together once more. "He does seem like the kind that mecha would assume would be most afraid."

Sunstreaker gave an uncertain hum. "Never seen him afraid. Freaked out, but not _afraid_. He'll do what needs doing. Just look at Prowl."

"Never said they were _right_ ," Sideswipe countered, then hesitated a moment. "Did you like having him here with you?"

"Yeah. I did," Sunstreaker sighed, his optics dim. "Not as good as you, but he ... he's not afraid of me."

"We established that," Sideswipe replied, amused. "So you wanna continue risking our CO's wrath by being friendly with him?"

"He hasn't killed us yet, I don't think he will. Just as long as Blue keeps smiling," Sunstreaker shrugged. "We've been courting his friendship for how many vorns now?"

"He still doesn't like us," Sideswipe said. "Gee, I wonder where he could have gotten that ability to hold onto a grudge," the red mech teased Sunstreaker. "Bluestreak doesn't seem the type to do that."

"He sure holds onto other emotions though," Sunstreaker pointed out with a bit of a grin, then sobered. "Said he still cares about us. And with Prowl, you've got to admit having a first exchange include 'we would've taken you from your carrier' is not a great starting point."

Sideswipe paused at that. "Cares... how? I don't want another misunderstanding of intent. Not after last time." He sighed. "No, not a great starting point. But he did spring the whole 'you are my sires' thing on us without warning, and I'm not sure we wouldn't have. Not with how things were."

Sunstreaker chuckled darkly. "Oh, I fully blame him for springing that on us. Doesn't make what we said go over any better." He snuggled against his brother. "Cares, just ... cares. He didn't elaborate, and I didn't ask. Wasn't a place either of us wanted to go."

Sideswipe tangled their legs together, holding Sunstreaker close. "Good idea. Still not sure we should go there."

"Stick to the future. He cares. We like him. Friends is good. Been too long since we had a friend," Sunstreaker murmured.

"Yeah. Not as sure as the mecha we thought were friends before," Sideswipe agreed, powering down his optics. "And it's especially good when they can handle you in a temper."

"It was nice, not being alone," Sunstreaker admitted. "I think he'd do that for you too."

Sideswipe made a noise of assent, tiredness creeping up on him.

"Recharge," Sunstreaker whispered. "I'll guard you."

* * *

For the first time in a decaorn, Bluestreak wasn't sure what he was going to do with his off time. With a lack of anything better to do, he headed for the most likely place to find his creation- his office. He knew he was always welcome, and that often included when Prowl locked the door simply to have some peace after his shift, but he always pinged for admittance with a note that it wasn't business. Sometimes Prowl locked the door for good reason, like meetings that Bluestreak had no business knowing about.

As usually happened, however, the door slid open with Prowl looking up with a faint smile and welcoming flick of his sensor wings.

"Hey, I hope you're not too busy," Bluestreak said, sliding into his usual chair. "It's just been a decaorn since I've had nowhere to be when I got off shift, and I didn't think ahead to have anything to do. The schedules aren't giving you as many difficulties anymore, are they? At least compared to what they were."

"No, the scheduling is much simpler now," Prowl said as he returned to his work. "Sideswipe was the most severely damaged. He is among only three mecha that have not returned o full duty yet. That is within a variance that I normally operate under."

"That's good. Maybe it just seemed worse because of how Sunstreaker was doing with Sideswipe in the medbay," Bluestreak said. "He should be back to full duty soon, and probably the others too."

"Three orns, unless something goes wrong," Prowl supplied. "Will you return to socializing with them when they've finished renewing their bond?"

"Probably, though not as much as I was with Sunstreaker while Sideswipe was injured," Bluestreak said. "They haven't been acting like how I feared they would after they found out about you."

Prowl glanced up. "What were you expecting?"

"For them to be a lot more angry with me," Bluestreak admitted, shrugging his wings. "Though there was less that they _could_ do since you're an adult."

"They were very angry when they found out, but then so was I. I expect that my reaction played a part in their eventual letting it drop. I admit I was not in the most rational of processors."

Bluestreak gave his creation a bit of a disbelieving look. "That doesn't happen often with you. And I'd be scared if you got angry with me. It doesn't happen often, but you're a force to be reckoned with when you're angry. Not to mention that you're their commanding officer and it's a _really_ bad idea to make your commanding officer angry with you."

"They had just caused you to crash. My rational nature does not do well when you have been damaged," Prowl murmured, moderately ashamed of the truth, even though he couldn't regret being protective of his creator. "I am sure their continued survival involves not hurting you again."

Bluestreak smiled at him. "And now? How do you feel about them now?"

"I still don't like them," Prowl admitted. "They are difficult to manage as an officer. I still do not like that they hurt you, or that they would have taken me from you if they had the chance. I understand both. I have not forgiven either."

"They didn't intend to crash me, Prowl. They were trying to do the opposite. And honestly, it was a lose-lose situation when you were kindled," Bluestreak said quietly. "They aren't inherently bad mecha, and I have my own share of the blame to carry."

"I know," Prowl x-vented. "I'm more protective of you than I have any right to be. I am attempting not to interfere with whatever they are becoming to you. It is the most I can offer at this time."

"You've always been protective, and even now anyone would find it understandable because of your rank and all that's happened and how I am now," Bluestreak replied, focusing on the less confusing aspect.

"Most are confused at how I can be protective of you on base and still send you out into battle," Prowl allowed a small smile to play across his features. "I know you can take care of yourself, and I'm always watching over you."

"Yeah, most don't realize how little danger snipers are in, comparatively speaking," Bluestreak agreed, then sighed and looked down. "...Is it wrong of me to still like them, to still _want_ them even after all that's happened?" he asked softly, more of a rhetorical question though he knew Prowl would answer anyways.

"Wrong, no," Prowl sighed. "Unhealthy, definitely. The spark very rarely deals in reason or what's best."

Bluestreak gave a bit of a humorless laugh. "I doubt anything would come of it.... I misread them so badly last time, I don't trust myself to know what's real..."

"If I may advise..." Prowl paused, genuinely waiting for permission and Bluestreak canted his wings in permission, always willing to hear him out. "Decide what you want; friends, friends with benefits, lovers, more. Then approach them with a contract much like they would have given you. Be clear, up front and willing to negotiate. They wouldn't dare make the first move. If you want something, you need to go after it."

Bluestreak hummed thoughtfully. "A contract is a good idea, though I'm not even sure what I want as a whole. My spark wants one thing, the rest of me isn't in agreement."

"I can not help with that, other than to listen to what each says and give an outside perspective," Prowl admitted, annoyed by the truth he could not change.

"My spark never stopped wanting them... On the other hand, I'm so bad at reading other mecha when it comes to personal relationships. There have been so many that I thought would be nice that turned out bad, and there's how badly I misread Sideswipe and Sunstreaker the first time. I don't think I could handle that again," Bluestreak said. "...I'm scared of allowing myself to want them, but I'm also scared of being alone."

Prowl nodded, then stood a bit uneasily and moved around his desk to sit next to his creator. With gentle fingers he caught Bluestreak's hand and held it, not quite able to meet those so-familiar blue optics. "Don't try to read them. _Ask_ them. Tell them what you want if it is to work out and let them tell you if they are willing to do so. Remember what I go through when entering an intimate relationship. Just because you do not have the same issues I do ... Creator, you love them. You have from before I was kindled. Just be as straightforward with them as they were with you. I'll be here if it doesn't work. You won't be alone."

Bluestreak trembled, his hand tightening on Prowl's. "I don't know if I could take them rejecting me again," he whispered. "But I wouldn't want them to feel like I was pressuring them or for them to feel like they should because otherwise you'd get mad at them again."

"Then tell me which is worse. Not knowing where this thing with them is going, or knowing it is not going to be what you hope?" Prowl asked.

Bluestreak gave his creation a wry smile. "Not knowing has never been as bad an option for me as it is for you." He sighed. "To me it seems like not knowing means there's still hope."

Prowl nodded, accepting once again that in some ways he would never understand his creator. "Then the answer seems to be to continue to stumble along and enjoy the time you spend with them. It is not a bad thing to enjoy your down time."

"I love you, my creation," Bluestreak murmured quietly, leaning into Prowl and smiling slightly as the younger mech relaxed and leaned into the contact as well.

"I do love you, creator. I want you to be happy," Prowl replied, and managed not to startle when the door slid open to an exuberant Jazz, who stopped and froze at the scene, momentarily uncertain if he was intruding into something he really shouldn't. "What is it Jazz?"

"Umm ... oh, right. Wheeljack's blown up again," Jazz's grin was a bit manic in his excitement. "You're kinda needed to play traffic cop."

Bluestreak giggled at Prowl's expression. "Go and deal with the mayhem," he said.


	3. Centuries of Healing

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's engines rumbled eagerly as they followed Bluestreak to the base racetrack. A tough series of battles had meant that no one had really had off time for nearly a metacycle. Now things had quieted a bit, and the three of them were looking forward to burning off some energy on the track. They were not perfectly matched, Bluestreak rarely managed to come close to winning, but he never gave any hint that it might have bothered him. They knew his ... _their_ ... creation was faster than all three of them.

Then they were on the track and no one thought as lap after lap passed, each one burning off jitters and stress.

Then as the stress melted away, playfulness came to the fore. They began to swerve teasingly around one another, flashing signals. Sunstreaker was still given a slightly larger margin around him, but he didn't seem to mind the risk to his finish as much as usual.

Bluestreak was in heaven. Racing hard with friends ... and he did dare to think of them as friends now ... the wind against his plating, the road under his wheels... it was peaceful in a strange way, the kind of quiet that he could handle.

There was no past here, nothing to haunt him. Only the _now_ , the movements as he tried to cut ahead of Sideswipe, only to be overtaken by Sunstreaker. The tingle of their fields as they passed one another. And the welcome feeling in his frame as energon coursed through his lines, cables moved, and heat built from the friction.

They'd been there long enough to really start to play when the track signaled a new racer joining them, and then that new racer pinged them his ID.

Prowl.

Bluestreak's field flared with excitement. Prowl always made for a fun race. He had the power to show the twins how a Praxian really raced, with his chase drive keeping him from completely leaving the others in the dust. The sniper pinged him back with welcome and Prowl was on them.

Prowl's powerful pursuit engine roared. ::Who can take me over ten laps?::

::We can!:: Sideswipe responded, two fields flaring eagerly for the challenge.

::I'll move over so I can better watch you leave them in the dust,:: Bluestreak teased, heading for the viewing platform.

::We don't get left in the dust,:: Sunstreaker shot back.

::We'll see,:: Prowl purred, a sound that none of them were used to from the stoic mech, and surged forward.

The twins revved at the same time, taking advantage of the inertia they already had to keep ahead of the younger mech. Excitement flared between them, pulsing along the twin bond. They hadn't had a proper race in far too long. Most mechs that could challenge them on the track were too afraid of how they'd respond to losing to even try. This one they knew was not afraid of them and really could race with the best. His current frame had been designed to run anything short of the top end of specialized racers to the curb.

It was exhilarating to take the lead, even more so to teek how much Prowl enjoyed this. Maybe they weren't on the best of terms yet, but in this sires and creation shared a common love.

It would do for now.

The speed stepped up as high as the twins could go and still last all ten laps. They immersed themselves in their bond, allowing themselves to move as if they were one. Individually they didn't have the processor power to match Prowl, but together they could challenge him.

The Praxian tearing after them loved it, and they could teek that. They weren't the only one severely lacking in a challenge on the track or enthralled by finally having it.

At nine and a quarter laps, they both felt Prowl's intent change. His engine didn't rev. It was already maxed out, but the tactics, the way he moved, did. He was going for the lead.

Sideswipe-Sunstreaker were determined to not let him have it. They moved and shifted as one to try to thwart him, their efforts far more coordinated than even the most experienced of Enforcer pairs. It was this ability that made them so valuable on the battlefield, and was now being turned against the one who so often took advantage of it.

Prowl's field lapped at theirs, excited, aroused, _happy_. For as hard as he was trying, he didn't care if he won. It was the race that he was after.

That teek held true all the way through coming in last.

Sideswipe-Sunstreaker whooped in unison, slowing down enough to do a controlled spin out. ::That was a good race,:: Sideswipe crowed to Prowl, still high on the rush.

::Care to run again, for a prize?:: Prowl's glee at the race, and enjoying his time off, rolled off him in waves and reminded the twins that he was a lot younger than they were.

::What sort of prize?:: Sunstreaker rumbled, eager and curious.

::I win, you hand over a complete batch of your best high grade in any form I ask for. You win, I'll look the other way about your still for a vorn,:: Prowl offered.

They didn't even have to think about the answer. Sideswipe hadn't planned on turning him down, but this was far too good to pass up. ::Deal!:: the red twin said.

::Then get on the starting line and prepare to lose.:: Prowl trilled, almost vibrating in his eagerness.

::We're not the ones going to lose,:: Sideswipe countered as he and Sunstreaker pulled up to the starting line. Prowl settled next to them in the third spot and they all waited, tense and ready, for the lights to change and single the beginning of the race.

The start was much like every other race where they all began even. Sunstreaker had the early lead, with Sideswipe a length behind them and Prowl nearly two lengths behind Sideswipe. By the third lap, Sunstreaker was losing his lead and Prowl was nosing past Sideswipe.

It didn't take long for the twins to throw open their bond, to act as one to try to hold him off. They moved, and Prowl was once again behind Sideswipe. That lasted for another three laps.

By the eighth lap Prowl was in the lead by a length and a half. At nine he was four lengths ahead of Sideswipe and six lengths ahead of Sunstreaker. That was even with the twins straining themselves, pushing themselves as fast as they could go. It wasn't nearly enough as Prowl crossed the finish line well ahead of them.

As the three slowed, circled to transform near Bluestreak, both twins were just staring at Prowl. He'd never come close to beating them that soundly.

"I'll let you know what I want later," Prowl actually purred at the dumbfounded pair while Bluestreak giggled at the scene. "I have to get back to wok now."

The sniper came down and gave his creation a hug. "Just don't work so hard that Ratchet comes and yells and drags you out," he teased Prowl.

Sideswipe shook himself off, and reached out to offer a hand to clasp to Prowl. "We'll need to do this again," he said.

"We will," Prowl accepted the grip with a bit of a happy flutter in his field that wasn't just from winning.

There was a quiet moment while he left, and Sideswipe glanced at Bluestreak. "Has he been talking about us lately?"

"Not particularly," Bluestreak's sensor wings canted curiously. "Why?"

"Nothing maybe," he shrugged. "Thought I teeked something besides winning, but maybe not."

"You probably did," Bluestreak replied with a grin. "He can be rather subtle to read if you're not used to it, especially when he's happy. Now c'mon, let's get some energon. You probably need it after racing him."

* * *

Everyone kept looking nervously at Prowl as he made the post-battle tour of the base, collecting battle reports and checking on the damaged and the bereft. All that was normal. He was completely normal.

Bluestreak and his twin shadows were missing.

Mecha started whispering to each other, wondering where the other three were. Had they been taken prisoner? Were they too injured to get back on their own? Why wasn't Prowl assembling a team to go look for them?

Stories began to be collected, trying to place the last time anyone had seen one of the three, and in what condition.

Were they deactivated on the field somewhere? No one could recall seeing any of them more than halfway through the battle, and the twins hadn't been more than scuffed at that point.

"You're taking this well," Smokescreen commented as Prowl passed him.

"Talking what well?" Prowl glanced at him.

"Having your carrier and his twin friends missing," Smokescreen replied, glancing sideways at him, sensor wings at an inquisitive angle.

"They aren't missing," Prowl said simply. "No more than Mirage and Hound are."

Everyone in hearing looked around as they realized that the noble and their best scout were also absent and the whispers picked up strength.

Smokescreen's optic ridges rose at that. "On a mission, then?"

"They aren't missing," Prowl repeated before slipping away.

Six joors later, three very ragged but undamaged and two completely composed mecha walked into medbay for their checkups without a word as to where they'd been.

By that point, it almost didn't matter where they'd been, not to the rumors flying around.

* * *

Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Bluestreak were having a quiet night in, lounging on the couch in the twins' quarters. They all had datapads in their hands, when Bluestreak's drifted down to his lap.

"I think Prowl got a bit more of Sunny in him," he commented quietly, the nickname something he had only recently started using.

It drew the attention of both twins.

"What made you say that?" Sunstreaker asked cautiously, on high alert for a glitch beginning.

Bluestreak shrugged his sensor wings, a small smile touching his lips. "He's always been quieter, less social. Kinda like you. One time when he was at the care center, the other sparklings were bothering him too much, so he and his closest friend there slipped off. They found a storage room that had been accidentally left unlocked and went inside, and curled up on the highest shelf for a nap," the Praxian allowed himself to drift into the memory. There was amusement and love for Prowl in his field, and a calmness that reassured the twins that he wasn't about to glitch.

"Going high came from me though," Sideswipe delighted at hearing about the rule-abiding adult during a more innocent and playful time. "Most grounders like to go low."

"And Strongwind, his friend, was a flyer," Bluestreak said agreeably. "The caretakers looked all over for them, but couldn't find them. They had been looking low, though. Hadn't expected sparklings to be such accomplished climbers. In the end I had to use the creation bond to lead the caretakers to them."

Sideswipe snickered. "I bet he wasn't upset to see you though."

"Glad he had some friends to get into trouble with," Sunstreaker added.

"No, he was quite happy to climb down into my arms," Bluestreak said with a smile. "Strongwind was a very good friend, and he was also close to Airstream, my cousin's creation. Trailbreaker was also amongst the friends that I saw on a semi-regular basis." He paused, a bit unsure as he glanced at Sunstreaker. "Painting was one of his favorite structured activities at the care center."

"Really?" the former artist looked startled. "He doesn't come across as the artsy type. Was he any good?"

"Very respectable for his age," Bluestreak replied as images of Prowl's paintings came up in his processors. "He preferred to paint people and places he knew, and to try to get them was photo-realistic as he could get. One time a youngling sitting next to him was painting a landscape where all of the colors were opposite, and he struggled with that."

"Really?" Sideswipe tried to comprehend a sparkling _that_ rule obsessed, and even knowing the adult he really couldn't.

"That ... is just weird. Not sure where that came from," Sunstreaker murmured. "Does he still create?"

Bluestreak's sensor wings canted the negative. "He didn't really paint after he started school. There was just too much else to learn that caught his attention."

"That's ... too bad," Sunstreaker murmured. "Hot Rod didn't get much of anything from me, and definitely not artistic talent."

Bluestreak hummed quietly, leaning over to cuddle more against Sunstreaker. "How was he as a sparkling?"

"Very, very active," Sideswipe chuckled. "He's never been afraid of anything."

"And has even less common sense about heights than Sides," Sunstreaker snickered.

Bluestreak giggled at that. "And how'd he do in school? I remember how much he was bored by my lessons."

"That was a pit of a fight," Sideswipe sighed. "He _hated_ school. Still hates authority. He's smart though. Just hasn't grasped the value of knowledge yet. He will, eventually."

Bluestreak made a sympathetic noise, reaching out to give Sideswipe's hand a squeeze. "I had the opposite problem with Prowl. He could burn through a vorn's coursework in a couple metacycles. His teachers and I struggled to keep up with him and still allow him to be in the classroom with younglings his age for the socialization."

"I'm guessing he did only slightly better socializing than Hot Rod did with school," Sideswipe gave a weak smile.

"Yeah, but you must have done something really right, cause he's not a bully or jerk," Sunstreaker added.

Bluestreak shook his helm. "He had his small group of friends, but didn't really enjoy socializing outside of it," Bluestreak said softly as he remembered. "It was lucky for me that he fell in with a good crowd that didn't mind when someone was different. They dealt with their fair share of bullies, though. I got called to pick Prowl up early one orn, not long after he started school. He'd been in a fight, and he and one of the bullies had been injured. That was the only time I heard about a physical fight, but I know it didn't end there. It just took a form that Prowl wouldn't talk to me about."

"So he was bullied, got into a fight, and won?" Sunstreaker grinned. "Kid's got more spunk than I thought."

"Well, he managed to intimidate the two of you," Bluestreak teased. "That had to come from somewhere."

"From being a scary-aft cop-bot who's our direct commander," Sunstreaker huffed, but Sideswipe was grinning.

"He does intimidation _good_ when he's fragged off."

"He didn't get that from me," Bluestreak grinned back. "I don't have a scary strut in my frame."

"Yes, but I know a glitch who has plenty of them," Sideswipe tweaked his brother's helm-fin.

"Enough you should know not to do that," Sunstreaker growled back and swatted at the red twin.

The Praxian was completely calm as he got out of the way of the impending wrestle session. Their affectionate bickering was just far too much fun to watch.

* * *

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were comparing notes over their daily energon. A couple metacycles earlier Bluestreak had been badly injured in a battle. The sniper had been the only major casualty in the battle, and even though he was now as healthy as he had been prior to the injury, Prowl was still tense and being excessively protective of his carrier. He had even been snapping at them despite how good of friends they had become with Bluestreak.

A flash of inspiration hit when another familiar figure entered the rec room to a loud chorus of greetings. Jazz had always been good at getting mecha to relax, even if his methods now were different than they had been.

"Hey Jazz! Join us?" Sideswipe called out the offering once the former performer had his energon.

"Sure thing," Jazz grinned at them and sauntered over to sit down with a relaxed sprawl completely at odds with his capabilities. "What's up?"

"Not a whole lot. Been handing Seekers their afts in battle. How're you doing? We haven't had time to talk much," Sideswipe said with a grin. Sunstreaker leaned forward, his face full of bland interest, the closest he could get to 'friendly'.

"You know, the usual. Giving Cons nightmares, planning the next party, making sure Prowler doesn't drain all the life from base," Jazz grinned. "Speaking of parties, when can you have a batch of high grade made up for one?"

"I got some in the works," Sideswipe replied conspiratorially. "Should be good to go in a decaorn."

"I'll get the rest of the game in play then," Jazz grinned with brightening excitement that spread like a grease fire through the room.

"Since you mentioned Prowl before," Sunstreaker rumbled as he leaned in, voice low enough to not be picked up by the other tables.

"Have you noticed that he's been a lot more tense than normal?" Sideswipe continued, his voice dropping to the same volume as his twin.

"'Course," Jazz nodded. "Still not over Blue getting slagged. Can't blame him much. Blue's about the only thing he has left he really cares about."

Sideswipe nodded. "Yeah, it's understandable, but not really good for him to still be so worked up over it. We had a thought that maybe you could get him to relax a bit. You are the master at it."

"He seems like he hasn't been 'faced in centuries," Sunstreaker muttered.

Jazz made a bit of a face. "Yeah. Sorry guys, that's a no go. I've tried. Mech's got the weirdest relationship with 'facing I've ever met. He doesn't get any 'cause, and I quote, 'it's not worth the energy it takes'."

Both frontliners stared at him, dumbfounded. "How could anything think 'facing isn't worth it?" Sunstreaker demanded.

"Someone who can overload, but doesn't have an inherent interface drive to speak of." Jazz shrugged. "Some mecha are wired that way."

"Is there anything else you could do to get him to relax, if he doesn't want to 'face?" Sideswipe asked over Sunstreaker.

Jazz leaned back and considered it for a while. "Have you asked him out racing, or sparring? Believe it or not, you two have better skills to settle him than I do."

Sunstreaker snorted at that.

"We tried. Got an audioful for it," Sideswipe explained with a shrug.

Jazz cocked his helm. "Okay, I'll get him out on the track, you give him a hard race or three?"

"Sure, we can do that," Sideswipe said agreeably.

"Good. I'll ping you with a time to be rolling on the track. Probably take a couple orns to get Prowl to agree," Jazz said with absolute confidence that he could uphold his part. "I'll make sure you aren't on shift. You make sure you're there."

"We'll be there. Might even bring a cheerleader for him," Sideswipe promised with a grin.

* * *

Bluestreak was curious enough at the twin's marked absence from the social aspects of the base after three orns to come to their door. It was a slightly skittish Sideswipe that let him in.

"Sideswipe? Sunstreaker? What's wrong?" Bluestreak asked as he took in their appearance, concern in his field. "I haven't seen you around base except for when you go on shift."

"We're fine," Sunstreaker growled from the couch. "Just not feeling social."

"Yeah. Just don't feel like going out," Sideswipe shrugged.

"That's really not like you, Sideswipe," Bluestreak countered, reaching out to take their hands and teeked the heavy unease that permeated both their fields. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Seriously." Sunstreaker resisted as Sideswipe shifted uneasily.

"Think Prowl wants us dead," Sideswipe mumbled. "Never seen him so pissed."

Bluestreak paused at that, sensor wings canted curiously even as his field reached out to soothe them. "What was he mad about? Tell me what happened."

"If we knew we'd _fix_ it," Sunstreaker snapped.

"He called us in, you know, like normal. And started yelling. At first it made sense, cause I did pull a prank a while ago with ... but then he seemed to go off on tangents about stuff we hadn't even heard about," Sideswipe tried to explain the confounding encounter and eventually just shrugged helplessly.

"Didn't punish us," Sunstreaker added.

Slowly Bluestreak began to smile, then giggled after a few moments. "Wow, that's really a huge step. He must have really needed to let off some steam." He gave their hands a squeeze, his field reaching out to theirs, reassuring. "Surely you've noticed he tends to keep his emotions under tight control. He doesn't let go like that unless he trusts the mecha he's with."

"So ... he's not planning to kill us?" Sunstreaker asked warily but still hopeful.

Bluestreak giggled again. "Definitely not. I'd say you're about as far from that as you can get."

"So ... what happened?" Sideswipe asked, still confused.

"His frustrations must have been building to the breaking point and just snapped while he was lecturing you," Bluestreak guessed. "He wouldn't have even called you in if he was at risk of snapping and didn't feel like he could around you."

The twins looked at each other, then nodded in understanding.

"Who does he usually vent at?" Sideswipe asked.

"Mostly Trailbreaker and me, sometimes Jazz," the Praxian said, moving to sit with them and found a welcome spot between the pair.

"So ... we're kinda family now?" Sideswipe suggested.

"Or if not, well on your way," Bluestreak confirmed, pleased at the sign that the relationship between Prowl and the twins was improving.


	4. Friends or Lovers

It had been well over a century and a half since the twins had re-entered his life, and Bluestreak could confidently say that they were friends. Good friends, even. He knew them far better than he had in Crystal City, and he was sure the same was true the other way around. Prowl was starting to accept them as kin. And even with all of the emotional and processor damage they had taken from the war, they were finding a balance.

And if anything, the flame he had harbored for the twins since their time in Crystal City had only grown. When he spent time with them, he was blazingly aware of how attractive they still were. He had put it out of his processors at first, sighting that they would never want anything more after how he had kept Prowl from them. Now... he wasn't so sure.

But Bluestreak couldn't stand to have a casual 'face. Not with anyone, but especially not with them. So he continued to hold his peace, despite how that was becoming increasingly difficult. It was probably never more so than times like now, when they were all in the washrack, helping each other scrub the grime from their frames. When one of them worked on his doorwings, or between them, it became nearly impossible to control the surges of pleasure-desire and keep them out of his field.

They were simply far too good at touching, and far too desirable. Many times he would have to escape to his quarters to take the edge off, imagining it was them touching him instead of his own hands.

He squeaked in surprise when he realized the moan in his thoughts was out loud and the black hands on his sensor wings had frozen. His field flushed with embarrassment at that. "Sorry, sorry!" he said quickly, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Didn't mean to get lost like that."

"It's okay," Sideswipe relaxed and went back to cleaning. "Just didn't want to have done something wrong."

"No, no, nothing's wrong," Bluestreak quickly reassured him as he went back to cleaning a hard-to-reach area on Sunstreaker's back. "Just got distracted by my thoughts is all."

"Happens to everybody," Sunstreaker accepted it, relaxed in the pleasure of Bluestreak's hands.

* * *

The party was more raucous that most Bluestreak remained at, but a quarter of the way through his first cube of high grade and a joor into it, he was still having a reasonably good time. Dancing with Jazz was fun, and tonight was a night that had so much talking that Bluestreak could relax and not feel the need to fill the silence himself.

Many of the other mecha were well on their way to being completely overcharged, and Bluestreak giggled at their drunken antics. Their attempts at dancing were hilariously bad, and the mix-ups in what they were trying to say sent everyone around them into gales of laughter.

The twins were currently amongst those on the dance floor, only a hint of their true grace showing through the unbalanced movements brought on by high grade.

They, along with half the base, would have terrible aches when the charge wore off and Bluestreak was determined not to be among them. He'd done it enough times to know he was past that stage of existence. Mirage and Bumblebee were among those who were like him. Jazz seemed as overcharged as anyone, but Bluestreak privately had his doubts.

Though Prowl had dropped by to give a nod to the party as one he wouldn't bust, he had only remained long enough to pick up a cube of high grade and chat with a handful of mecha. He'd made a quick escape once the music had ramped up, and Bluestreak couldn't blame him. The advanced sensor suite in his sensor wings and the rest of his frame would make the vibrations unpleasant to painful. It wasn't entirely pleasant for Bluestreak either, but he could tolerate it much better than his creation.

"Hey Blue," Sideswipe purred as he and Sunstreaker stumbled over to the table where the sniper was at. "C'mon, you should dance with us."

"Umm... sure, why not?" Bluestreak decided after a moment. It wasn't as if most of those dancing together were couples or anything. He'd danced with Jazz and Bumblebee and Smokescreen and no one would think he was _with_ any of them.

"C'mon," Sunstreaker rumbled, pulling Bluestreak to his pedes and almost overbalancing.

"Like dancing with you," Sideswipe said as they pulled him into the dance area and started trying to move with the music.

Bluestreak giggled and danced in a far more coordinated manner, using his sensor wings as much as his optics to track those around him so he didn't bump into them. It didn't even register as unusual for him when the twins began to press closer as they danced, something better suited to when they had been in Crystal City and he had been their carrier. It just felt natural to dance with them like this.

It felt good, enjoying time with them. They weren't dancing well, but their overcharged fields were full of good sensations, even Sunstreaker's. The yellow twin seemed to have lost touch with the part of his processors that were broken, at least for the moment. That happened far to little, and was always to be savored.

After a few songs, Sideswipe's hands came to rest on Bluestreak's waist and Sunstreaker pressed closer to his back. "Such a good dancer, Blue. Like this with you."

"I like dancing with two both as well," Bluestreak suddenly felt uneasy. He wanted them to touch him like this, and so much more, but was he ready for it?

No. No, he wasn't. Not yet. Maybe never. And definitely not when they were overcharged out of their processors.

"But not so close," Bluestreak murmured.

"What do you mean?" Sideswipe asked, blinking uncomprehendingly at Bluestreak as he and Sunstreaker froze.

"We aren't lovers," Bluestreak gathered his inner strength. "We shouldn't dance like this."

"Okay Blue," Sideswipe replied, shoving Sunstreaker over the bond and backing off so that there was more space between them. "Do you still want to dance?"

When they backed away so easily, Bluestreak smiled and relaxed along with everyone around them that had noticed the exchange. "Yeah, I'd like that," he smiled at each of them. "I _like_ dancing with you."

"Yeah, don't want to mess that up," Sideswipe agreed.

"Dancing's good," Sunstreaker rumbled behind him as he started moving again.

* * *

Bluestreak was finishing up the daily maintenance on his rifle when his roommate entered. "Hey Bumblebee. How was your shift?"

"Gratefully dull," the cheerful minibot replied as he dropped into his chair in their small entertainment area between the two berths. "You still okay?"

The sniper eyed his rifle critically before slipping it into his subspace. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" he replied, optics wide. "Did something happen where I shouldn't be okay?"

"Well, there was the twins at the party," Bumblebee said carefully. "They were seriously overcharged, even for them."

Bluestreak frowned a moment as he thought, and then brightened as he remembered the exchange while they were dancing. "Oh, you mean when they got closer than I wanted? That was fine. I mean yeah they were overcharged, but they've always respected my limits and backed off as soon as soon as I spoke up."

"Glad they didn't push things after it wasn't public anymore," Bumblebee relaxed. "The three of you seem to have a good thing going."

"Mecha always seem to expect the worst from them, but they're not bad," Bluestreak said. "And we kinda understand each other better now, 'cause we have our glitches. They put up with me and mine, and I don't hold theirs against them."

"How'd you hook up with them, anyway?" Bumblebee asked conversationally. "It's not like you have friends in common, to speak of. It seemed like you were hiding from them for a while there."

"Not long after I got my final upgrades, I decided I would travel and see Cybertron, taking jobs along the way to pay for it," Bluestreak explained, settling on his berth. "Started with Crystal City, and then had trouble getting temp jobs to pay for my stay, and then I hadn't factored in the fees for moving between cities. I needed the credits and ended up with a contract with them, one that they were beyond generous with. That's also how I got my second diploma. It wasn't even in the contract, but they still paid for the tutoring and the test."

"That's _seriously_ generous," Bumblebee perked up. "Those were _expensive_ if you didn't come from a family already paid at that level. What did you do for them?"

"You know how they have a creation, Hot Rod?" Bluestreak asked, and waited for Bumblebee's nod before continuing. "I was their surrogate for him."

Bumblebee blinked, his jaw slack for a long moment as he worked through that. "Was Prowl your first or second carry, then?"

"Second carry," Bluestreak said quietly.

Bumblebee was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry you couldn't help raise Hot Rod. How much of a secret is this?" He asked quietly.

"It's not something I really want gossiped about," Bluestreak admitted. "Jazz and Mirage might remember. They met me while I was carrying Hot Rod."

Bumblebee nodded. "I'll be quiet about it. Do all five of you know who everyone else is? I don't want to cause a shock talking to someone by assuming they know what's going on if they don't."

"I don't know about Hot Rod, but Sides, Sunny, and Prowl know," Bluestreak replied.

The minibot nodded again. "I'll keep that in mind when talking with mecha, if they bring it up." He paused. "You really aren't 'facing them?"

"I'm really not," Bluestreak confirmed. "It caused too many misunderstandings and sparkbreak for me before. I learned I can't do casual 'facing, especially with them, so it's just easier if we don't."

"Good thing to know about yourself," Bumblebee commented. "Sorry it went bad though. You still managed to raise a good mecha in Prowl."

The mention of his creation brought a smile to his face and warm pride to his field. "Prowl's been my greatest accomplishment. I'm so very proud of him."

* * *

Bluestreak did his best to relax on the medberth chest down, with his sensor wings supported so the fresh repairs wouldn't be strained, but he was done with recharge and had nothing better to do than look around at the handful of mecha still in the bay with him. It looked like Sideswipe had been released, since he was sitting in a chair with his helm by Sunstreaker's shoulder instead of a medberth pushed up against Sunstreaker's. Cliffjumper looked like a mess and was still in stasis, but Bluestreak had seen enough to know he wasn't in any real danger anymore. Mirage was getting some kind of tune-up unrelated to the battle damage most here suffered. The spy was probably going to be going on a mission soon.

A glance at his chronometer told Bluestreak that his creation would be by in two joors for his tour of the damaged and to check in on him. It wasn't often that Bluestreak was damaged, and even more rare for it to be more than a dent or scorch that self-repair or a quick stop by a junior medic could fix. It had been pure bad luck that a Seeker wing had found his perch and decided to take a sniper out of the fight, but this time he'd required Ratchet.

"Hey Blue, how're you doing?" Wheeljack asked, appearing next to Bluestreak's medberth.

"Much better now. Ratchet does great work. I barely feel anything now, and it's all working," he perked up at someone besides himself to talk to. "I'm looking forward to getting out of here though. Praxians weren't designed to be still this long. Not really designed to lay like this either."

"Yeah, laying down seemed to be the last thing in the processor queue of whoever came up with the Praxian design," Wheeljack teased, resting a hand on Bluestreak's shoulder. "Neither your fronts or backs are good for it."

"On your side with some pillows bracing works pretty well, or a berth designed for wings. But I agree, laying down was not in the design plan," Bluestreak giggled a bit. "How's the base doing?"

"Base is doing good, especially since I haven't tested out the new walls around my lab yet," Wheeljack said with good cheer. "Hopefully I'll stay out of Ratchet and Grapple's bad graces for a while."

"But if you stay out for too long, they'll come looking for who replaced you," Bluestreak grinned up at him. "Or you could just try to flirt like a normal mecha."

"Yeah, but then he'd start searching for a programming bug," Wheeljack said with a wink. He looked out across Bluestreak to the other berth. "How're you doing Sideswipe? Sunstreaker stable?"

"I'm good, he will be," the red mech looked up with a weary but thankful smile. "Getting real tired of being gestalt-bait though. Seekers are so much easier to take down."

"I'm working on something to try to counter the gestalts, but it might be a while," Wheeljack replied. He moved over and grasped the red twin's shoulder before heading out of the bay.

A couple breems later, Mirage left and then Hound came in for an appointment. He stopped at Bluestreak's berth on his way to Ratchet. "You holding up, Blue?" he asked kindly.

"Better and worse. It's nice to be awake, but now I'm awake and can't move and it's horrible, but not horrible like getting hurt like that, you know..."

"I understand," Hound said with a smile. "Hopefully Ratchet won't keep you in here too long." He looked at the twins next. "You about to go stir-crazy too, Sideswipe?"

"Nah, Prowl's kept me on the patrol roster," Sideswipe shook his helm. "Sunny, he will be once he's out of stasis."

"Anything I can sneak in to help keep him occupied while he's stuck in here?" Hound asked.

Sideswipe grinned at him. "A new game or something would be great."

"I'll bring one by before my shift," he promised, before heading back to where Ratchet was waiting for him.

"You want anything, Blue?" Sideswipe asked in the building silence.

"Just someone to talk with," Bluestreak replied, smiling gratefully at the red mech. "Though I'll be happy when they pass around energon. It's about time when I normally get my ration."

They chatted for a few breems as Ratchet finished up with Hound, then started his round with the patients still in the medbay. Beachcomber and Windcharger were quickly declared fit and ready to be booted out. Still, the two stopped by Bluestreak's berth to check on him, and then turned their concern towards the twins.

It left Bluestreak a few kliks to contemplate how much more stable the twins were, and how much more friendly mecha were towards them, since they'd first arrived. Though he knew they still had a significant disciplinary record, it was from pranks instead of inner-faction violence. Bluestreak was very happy for the change, and he knew it meant a lot to them to no longer be so alone while amongst mecha. He also knew that Prowl was appreciative of it, even if the pranks gave him processor-aches.

* * *

It was a normal orn on base. They had just gotten some new transfers, and those mecha were settling in well. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker disliked getting new transfers, because it meant that it took them a few orns to see how the others acted around the "terror twins", before they relaxed.

Said twins were having their orn's rations at a table with the other frontliners. They were swapping stories about memorable battles and enjoying playful banter about who could wipe out whom on the training mats, nothing special. While they were chatting, Sideswipe's gaze kept shifting to another table and a very familiar set of doorwings. He and Sunstreaker had a very good friendship going with Bluestreak, one that they had come to treasure over the vorns.

One of the new mecha on base, a blue skater with energy whips and likely Praxian heritage was chatting up Bluestreak. Now normally this wouldn't be worth noting, but he did it _every time_ he could get in the same room as the gunner. It was flirting too. Not much touching, not yet, but it was easy to see intent and desire there.

It was enough to make his fuel tanks boil, and he knew Sunstreaker felt the same.

He kept trying to tell himself that he had no real claim on Bluestreak, that he had no right to tell the sniper who to flirt with, but it did little good. He and Sunstreaker couldn't bear the thought of Bluestreak with anyone.

~We don't have any right, but we _can_.~ Sunstreaker growled silently over the bond. ~He never actually forbid us from courting him.~

~Do you want to court him?~ Sideswipe asked. Courting was a serious commitment.

~I...~ Sunstreaker looked over at Bluestreak and his admirer. ~He deserves better.~

~Yeah, I don't want to lose what we have either,~ Sideswipe admitted to what his brother was feeling. ~But I _want_ him.~

~He's been good for us,~ Sunstreaker added. ~He fits well.~

Sideswipe nodded and looked at Bluestreak again. ~Wish I was sure if he likes Jolt or not.~

~Does that make a difference?~ Sunstreaker rumbled.

~Yeah. If he's _happy_ with Jolt, I don't want to hurt him by butting in,~ Sideswipe pointed out. ~He might hate us for driving away the mech if he really likes him.~

~Maybe ask Prowl?~ Sunstreaker suggested. ~Bluestreak would tell him, if anyone.~

~Yes, he would. Better than blundering into messing something good up,~ Sideswipe agreed. ~I don't want to lose what we've got over this.~

~We got time, and he's probably in that office,~ Sunstreaker said, tossing back the rest of his ration.

Sideswipe nodded and did the same before they stood in unison and made absent-minded excuses for leaving. Sideswipe couldn't keep from glancing at Bluestreak and Jolt several more times before they were out of sight, and then it began to sink in what they were planning.

~Is this ... are we _really_ going to do this?~ Sideswipe reached out for confirmation-comfort from his other half.

~What else can we really do? We don't want him with anyone else, we like him. This is the only real way to keep him as _ours_ ,~ Sunstreaker replied.

~Yeah. Just hope he doesn't do what we did. Hard to think about how much would have changed if we'd said yes,~ Sideswipe murmured. ~Prowl's processors with the business. Bet he wouldn't have let us rot in that pit for so long either.~

~Prowl would have been amazing at the business,~ Sunstreaker agreed. ~Though Blue wouldn't have been able to survive the pits,~ he added on a more somber note.

~Probably not,~ Sideswipe shuddered to his core at the thought of the gentle Praxian in that nightmare. ~It was hard enough for us.~

~So maybe there was a little good from him not being with us then,~ Sunstreaker said as they reached the door to Prowl's office.

~Yeah, he survived,~ Sideswipe agreed and drew in a steadying vent before letting it out and pinged for admittance. It surprised neither when the door immediately opened and the Praxian base commander looked at them steadily.

"What do you need?" Prowl asked as the pair came inside.

The twins were quiet as they took their seats, nerves quieting them. Instead, Sideswipe took a different opening. "We wanted to thank you for helping Hot Rod. He's been doing a lot better since he got that transfer."

Prowl tiled his helm in acklowledgement. "You're welcome. That is not your primary pupose here, though."

Their armor flickered, caught out.

"We've noticed one of the new transfers paying a lot of attention to Bluestreak," Sunstreaker said with a protective rumble that he couldn't quite suppress.

"And we were wondering if Blue had mentioned him to you at all," Sideswipe finished.

"I cannot say he has, though I am aware of the attraction Jolt has for Bluestreak," Prowl's sensor wings quivered with annoyance. "My creator is entirely too polite for his own good at times. He'd rather Jolt took the hint, but he hasn't."

"So Blue has no interest in Jolt as a lover?" Sideswipe pressed, attempting to sound casual.

"No," Prowl confirmed steadily. "Are you going to finally act on yours?"

The twins froze at that, and then Sideswipe grinned a bit sheepishly at Prowl. "Are we being that transparent?"

"Yes, and I've been waiting for _someone_ to realize that you three all want to be together enough to overcome your fear of rejection," Prowl actually huffed. "I've suggested it to Bluestreak enough I've had to stop."

"And how do _you_ feel about us being with him?" Sideswipe asked quietly.

"I'm not going to pretend I like it, but I know it's what he wants," Prowl grumbled slightly. "You make him happy, and more stable than he's been since Praxus fell. I can't resent anything that gives him that too much."

"Because we hurt him before?" Sideswipe asked.

"Won't happen again," Sunstreaker rumbled in addition.

Prowl regarded them for a long enough moment that they shifted uneasily. "No," Prowl finally admitted. "Because for my entire existence it has been the two of us and I do not share well."

"He'll probably always put you first, even before us," Sideswipe admitted.

"And you'd be gaining us as family," Sunstreaker pointed out.

"I know, but as you both know, emotions and intellect do not always line up," Prowl chuckled a bit. "My intellect knows you will not take him from me, and that you are good for him. Emotionally, I don't agree."

"Then the best we can do is give you time until your emotions come around," Sideswipe said with a grin and a shrug.

"The best way to do that is to prove them wrong," Prowl added. "My creator still loves you. He always has. Make him happy."

Sunstreaker shared an idea over the bond. "What would be the best way to approach him? Something a Praxian would recognize?" Sideswipe asked.

Prowl thought for a long moment and twitched his sensor wings in confirmation. "A carved crystal. Something the size of your palm with a design specific to Bluestreak."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker nodded. It would be difficult to get a crystal with Cybertron as it was, but they would do it. If nothing else, the effort would show Bluestreak how serious they were. Sideswipe glanced at his twin, sending a questioning pulse across the bond.

"Is there anything else?" Sideswipe asked, watching. "Anything that might be significant to you too?"

Prowl shook his helm. "This should be for Bluestreak. Think of him."

"You're still a big part of his life and spark," Sideswipe pointed out. "Don't want you feeling left out."

Prowl gave them a tiny smile. "Then in creating something the is meaningful to him, it will include me."

Sideswipe grinned and leaned forward, reaching his arm out to Prowl. "Family?"

Prowl paused again, looking at the offering and considering it before gripping Sideswipe's arm in a warrior's embrace. He offered his other arm to Sunstreaker. "Family."

Sunstreaker reached out, gripping Prowl's arm with an agreeing rumble.

* * *

Bluestreak glanced around the rec room before settling in his chair with a sigh. While the attention was nice, he really didn't want Jolt and the blue mech didn't seem to understand that Bluestreak wasn't interested.

He was nearly finished with his cube when two much more desired figures entered the room and headed straight for him. "Hey Blue," Sideswipe greeted him.

"Hi guys!" he perked up immediately. "Enjoying the party? It seems like it'll be a really nice one."

Both twins looked nervous before Sunstreaker reached into his subspace for something that Bluestreak couldn't see quite yet.

"Bluestreak," Sideswipe said, using the Praxian's formal name. "We have a gift for you, if you will accept it." Sunstreaker shifted closer, holding out what appeared to be a miniature representation of a garden, delicately carved from a single crystal.

The gray Praxian cycled his optics several times as his sensor wings jerked up in shock, but his face was full of wonder. He looked up at them, trembling slightly. "Do you understand what that means?"

"We asked Prowl to make sure we were doing it right," Sideswipe confirmed quietly. Both twins trembled nervously as they waited, not wanting to assume what Bluestreak's answer would be.

A quick flick of his optics found Prowl, who twitched his sensor wings in confirmation and smiled slightly, and Bluestreak focused on the twins again. With trembling fingers he reached for the offering and closed his hands delicately around it, his plating brushing Sunstreaker's plating. His optics locked with Sideswipe's, aware that the red twin was the elder and thus the one he needed to answer. "I accept your gift."

Both twins relaxed immediately at that, a wide grin breaking out on Sideswipe's face. A black hand came up, gently touching Bluestreak's cheek while yellow hands cupped Bluestreak's around the gift. "We'd hoped so."

Bluestreak leaned into the contact and closed his optics to simply relish the moment. He was warm, and he felt good on a level he hadn't in so very long. A forehelm came to rest against his own, the fields reaching out to his were welcoming, full of a desire for _him_ that went beyond interfacing. His field reached right back, wanting and ecstatic at having them again. He could hear chatter and cheers going up around them, but it didn't distract him from the two right in front of him.

"We should put your gift away so it's not damaged," Bluestreak murmured, though he didn't move yet.

"After you've taken a closer look at it," Sunstreaker rumbled, though neither twin were in any rush to move either.

"Okay," Bluestreak carefully separated his fingers to look at the miniature crystal garden and gasped slightly as he realized that each of the four main clusters around the edge had a glyph carefully carved into it.

_Healer_  
_Traveler_  
_Protector_  
_Triad_

"What you are to us," Sunstreaker murmured once Bluestreak had found each glyph.

Bluestreak trembled as he saw far more than a courting gift in the crystal, and forced himself to stop the thought. He'd gotten into so much trouble rushing ahead. He had to take this for what it was and no more.

The twins were asking to be lovers, serious lovers, exclusives lovers, but not yet mates.

Could he be happy with that?

_Triad_

Yes. With that promise for the future, he could be. Prowl wouldn't have allowed them to include that glyph if they didn't intend to follow through with it eventually.

He'd have to wait for that eventually, but he could. This was serious enough for him. It wasn't a casual thing. He felt Sideswipe place a chaste kiss to his helm, and Sunstreaker wrap a protective arm around him.

"Your choice of what to do next, when you're ready," Sideswipe murmured.

"I know what I want, next and eventually," Bluestreak gave a trembling smile as he looked up at the pair. "I'd like to put this somewhere safe, then talk in private."

"Sure," Sideswipe replied, grinning back down at him. Sunstreaker gave him a brief squeeze before both twins pulled back enough to walk. A small smile graced Sunstreaker's lips, an expression he hadn't worn in public in far too long. Bluestreak leaned against him, and Sideswipe closed in on Bluestreak's other side as the three left the party. They weren't even out of audial range before the volume picked up, indicating that Prowl had also left.

It was a short trip back to Bluestreak's quarters, the twins' hold loosening on him once the door opened so they could fit through it. Bluestreak stood in the middle of the room, facing his side for several long, silent kliks.

When he finally moved it was decisive. There was a shelf that held a handful of items, all decorative knickknacks, on the wall next to the foot of his berth. The crystal was placed front and center there along with shifting every other item on display.

"So you can see them before recharge?" Sunstreaker guessed after taking in the dynamics of the space.

"More to look at when I can't recharge, but yes, then too," Bluestreak stepped back and smiled in satisfaction at the shelf. "I know you don't have any roommates," he motioned to the other side of the room. "Bee's nice and all, but maybe we can spend the evening, or more, in your quarters?"

"Wouldn't want him to feel like he's intruding in his own quarters," Sideswipe agreed, moving to take Bluestreak's hand and found it warm and welcoming, and just faintly trembling. "And we can have that talk you mentioned in our quarters too."

Bluestreak nodded eagerly, his sensor wings fluttering with nervous anticipation. "Yes, let's go."

Sunstreaker slid his hand into Bluestreak's free one as they left the room and purred softly when the Praxian leaned into the contact. They all froze when a familiar blue half-Praxian skated up to them with clear intent to intercept.

"Hey, peace," Jolt lifted his hands as the twins growled and Bluestreak lifted his sensor wings in warning. "I just wanted to congratulate Bluestreak."

"Congratulate me?" Bluestreak's sensor wings twitched as they relaxed.

"I'm glad you got the mecha you wanted," Jolt said honestly. "Disappointed it's not me, but I'm happy for you. Not enough of us get to seriously court anymore."

"Thank you," Bluestreak smiled warmly at the blue skater, then nudged the twins.

"Yeah, thanks," Sunstreaker nodded.

"So no bad feelings?" Sideswipe asked, wanting to be sure.

"No bad feelings," Jolt promised. "Even I could tell I would have been a distant second choice, but you weren't acting, so I thought I might have a chance. First choices are a lot better."

"Thank you. I hope you find someone too," Bluestreak smiled even more warmly, then nudged his twins into moving again. They hung on as a chain even as Sideswipe unlocked the twins' quarters and they slipped inside.

"What is it you want to talk about?" Sideswipe asked, his free hand coming up to stroke Bluestreak's cheek once more.

Bluestreak lost himself in the contact for a long moment before answering. "Prowl suggested we write up a contract again, so we all agree we're on the same screen. I know what I did wrong last time, and as much as it hurt, as it still hurts, Prowl's shown me a lot about relationship contracts that I didn't understand before."

"He's a smart mech, Prowl," Sideswipe said with a bit of a wry grin. "Writing up a contract sounds like a good idea to me. Makes everything clearer."

"What are _your_ expectations, for right now and the future?" Sunstreaker asked, letting go of Bluestreak's hand so that he could wrap his arm around the Praxian's waist once more.

Bluestreak bit his lower lip plate and dove in with the one he expected the most trouble over. "I don't think I can share your affections, your berth. You're mine, I'm yours, and no one else gets involved."

"That we can agree to, easily," Sideswipe reassured him.

"Don't want to share you either," Sunstreaker rumbled, a possessive note to his voice.

"Good," Bluestreak sagged when tension he hadn't realized he had fled. "I ... I kinda want to be courted, just a bit," he ducked his helm. "Little things, now and then. I'll court you too. Not to win each other, but just ... it feels good."

Sunstreaker hummed an affirmative as Sideswipe spoke. "That would feel good. What are your thoughts on pacing?"

Bluestreak leaned back against Sunstreaker and tried to think. "I ... I'm not sure," he admitted. "Part of me just wants to move in and have it all right now. Part isn't so sure that's one of my brighter ideas."

Sunstreaker rumbled his engine soothingly as Sideswipe gave Bluestreak's hand a squeeze. "Maybe play that by audio for a little bit? At least give it a few orns to see where we're comfortable and speak up if we're not. The contract with you for Hot Rod was the most serious long-term lover we've had, and from what we've heard it's been just as long for you."

"Yeah," Bluestreak nodded. "It was the only time a lover's been good to me too. I usually have terrible judgment," he admitted. "Playing it a bit by audial sounds okay. I mean, we all know this is going to include interfacing. It's just about when."

Sideswipe nodded. "Definitely. And what do you see for the future?"

"The daydreaming version? We bond, have creations together, earn good credits making Cybertron beautiful again," Bluestreak chuckled.

"I like that daydream," Sideswipe chuckled as well, nuzzling him.

"We're not ready to bond just yet, but..." Sunstreaker said, bringing the tone back to reality.

"Neither am I!" Bluestreak half turned to look at Sunstreaker seriously. "It's something I want, and I want with you two, but in that one orn, abstract way. I'm not ready either."

"We'll get there," Sideswipe promised him. "It wasn't really something we ever expected, back in Crystal City. Then there was how those damned pits changed us... But that we can envision it at all is thanks to you."

Bluestreak turned to nuzzle Sideswipe. "Same here. It's something to work towards as long as we all want it, not a demand I'm making."

Sideswipe nuzzled him back and dared to place a chaste kiss on Bluestreak's lips. "Just making sure we're agreed."

"We're agreed," Bluestreak smiled between them. "Tonight, just recharging with you both sounds good."

"That we can do," Sideswipe rumbled, nuzzling him again as Sunstreaker shifted to press against his back. "Keep you warm and protected." The three of them were slow to move to the berth, too busy enjoying the feel of their frames close and fields meshing together to worry about speed.


	5. Healing Together

It was yet another battle, each one blurring into the next from how many they had fought. Prowl was snapping orders over their comm links, fighters were out fighting, and Bluestreak was a lot closer to the action than he wanted to be. The land here was far too flat for him to snipe effectively, and there were more mecha on the field than he was used to. He knew his twins were taking out Seekers, and Bluestreak was trying to target the rest, but he had to be careful to make sure he didn't hit their own fliers.

To make it even worse, Mirage wasn't nearby. The spy could become invisible, so he was on an Ops-type mission behind enemy lines instead of working with Bluestreak and the other snipers.

Bluestreak could only wince as the comm chatter ticked up. Ratchet was needed on the other side of the battlefield to deal with the injured, and it didn't sound good. Then his thoughts snapped to his immediate situation as a pair of Seekers made a strafing run right at him.

He had to scramble for cover, thankfully making it. One of the others nearby him cried out in pain, signaling that he wasn't so fortunate. When Bluestreak glanced over, he could see that it was bad. Very bad.

::Prowl, Sightlock's down. I'm moving to assist,:: he commed his creation, automatically moving towards the downed sniper. Training he hadn't accessed in at least two centuries kicked in like he had never stopped and he offered a small prayer of thanks to Primus for it.

::Acknowledged,:: Prowl responded, and in other chatter that Bluestreak was only dimly aware of warriors were directed to cover them and two others that had gone down that klik. The call went out to the medics, along with a note that Sightlock had a First Responder tending to him. Surprise flicked through the channels, but no one had the time yet to question the statement or ask who it was.

Bluestreak pulled his kit from subspace, glad that even if some of the medications had gone off at least his tools would still be in good shape because of where they had been stored.

"Sightlock, you'll be alright. Gonna pull you through this," Bluestreak reassured the other sniper as he settled next to him. The instructions came back easily. Stabilize his chamber, then work out. Most of the damage was contained in a few small, but vital areas. One of which was a main coolant line that had a patch clamped on. If they had waited for Ratchet to reach them, then the sniper would have lost too much and overheated for sure.

"Didn't know ... you were ... medic," Sightlock managed to say through the static of pain.

"Have some training, but they wanted me as a sniper," Bluestreak said as he worked. Soon he was able to reach Sightlock's pain center to dim it to a level where Sightlock could remain conscious without being completely incapacitated by it. "There. I'd rather not put you in stasis until Ratchet can take a look, but at least you won't bleed out before he can get here." He pinged Ratchet with Sightlock's location and status before glancing up to check where the other two that had been hit were and their status.

::Prowl, Sightlock's stable for the moment. I still think Ratchet should take a look, but at least he can last until then.:: the sniper also gave Prowl the update. ::Who else was hit?::

::Vanguard and Hound,:: Prowl responded. ::Get Sightlock under cover if you can and help Vanguard. Hound is still fighting.::

::Will do,:: Bluestreak acknowledged. "Okay, we're going to get you under cover, then I need to go check on Vanguard," Bluestreak updated Sightlock, before he began carefully shifting his fellow sniper.

"Okay," Sightlock said and tried to help move himself.

Once Sightlock was as situated as he could get, Bluestreak made his way to the last position he had for Vanguard. The mech looked worse than Sightlock had, but Bluestreak wouldn't know for sure until he started assessing his injuries. He did what he could, got the mech under cover and didn't even think about it when Prowl began directing him as a field medic.

It wasn't until the battle was over that it began to sink in that he'd performed his actual function for the first time since Praxus fell. He trembled at the realization. He had thought that part of him lost forever, but he hadn't had any flashbacks, any glitches. He wanted to find his twins, to dance with them in joy that he had done it, no matter how inappropriate it was.

Instead he pulled himself together and sought out Ratchet for instructions. He had a general idea of how the post-battle medical triage went from witnessing and being a patient himself, but he want to make sure he worked seamlessly with the others and wasn't in the way. He wasn't surprised that Ratchet was ready for his appearance, or that the CMO's instructions folded him smoothly into the process.

He was rather happy in the semi-mindless state of _work_ when red and yellow plating covered with energon and damage crossed his vision. He froze for a klik before he forced himself to focus, to see what injuries they had and what he could do about them. And he could do this, same as he had checked Prowl over after a fight with bullies. They would be fine, and he would make sure of it same as he would with anyone else. He had protocols to help and he felt them click into place just a little stronger.

His hands flew, crimping lines and patching burns and breaks, loading blockers and making notes to go with them in the system for more advanced medics to see. His lovers went to someone else and another frame was before him for the same work.

It continued until a strong hand landed on his shoulder. "Triage is over, Creator."

Bluestreak blinked blankly at Prowl for a klik before glancing around and seeing that he was correct. All of the injured had been seen to and shuffled along in order of priority. He could even see his lovers, stable and though they were still waiting, their injuries were nothing that couldn't be easily fixed by a fully trained medic. "How long have I been working?"

"Seven and a half joors," Prowl answered. "You did very well."

"How many casualties?" he asked.

"Two dead, thirty damaged," Prowl reported. "Reports say your battlefield work saved at least three sparks."

Bluestreak nodded and gave his creation a small, relieved smile. It was better than he expected, and that lives had been saved by his work felt very good to his coding. "I'm glad," he said, and the only thing keeping him from hugging his creation was the knowledge that he had medical fluids on his plating. None on his hands or where he could drip on a patient, but there was never time for a full clean-up in triage.

"There's a shower there to rinse off while I walk through, then we can clean you fully in a real washrack," Prowl suggested with a motion.

"Thank you. That sounds wonderful," Bluestreak agreed, and went towards the shower.

* * *

As soon as they were released from medical, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker pinged Bluestreak's comm to find out where he was and grinned when it came back from the rec room. It hadn't been lost on them that he had been working as a field medic, and they liked the focused confidence that they had felt as he assessed and patched injuries. It wasn't that different from the way he felt at the range, except they knew _this_ was his desired function, one he had done too long without.

~He really is amazing,~ Sunstreaker admitted. ~Almost ... almost makes me want to paint again.~

~Just say the word, and I'll get you what you need,~ Sideswipe replied, encouragement in his field. He had missed Sunstreaker's work almost as much as his twin himself. Even as he said it, he knew he'd find some paints and sheets for his brother, just to have around if the mood struck him. It wouldn't be what they could once afford, those materials were long gone and unlikely to be produced again for generations thanks to lost formulas, but he could get something good enough. He'd seen his brother work with rust and shavings before the processor damage from helm strikes in the pits knocked the artist out and the monster into him.

They went straight for Bluestreak as soon as they entered the rec room, descending on him with tight hugs. "You did great!" Sideswipe said, nuzzling him as Sunstreaker wrapped his arms around the Praxian from the other side.

"You teeked like you really belonged," Sunstreaker added quietly to the flush and joy in Bluestreak's field.

"Enjoyed seeing you working, in your element," Sideswipe added, pride and desire flaring through his field.

"It felt good too, and I saved lives according to Prowl and Ratchet," Bluestreak shivered with pride in the accomplishment and joy at the approval. "Ratchet's made it clear he wants to finish my training, at least take me up to a full field medic, if not more."

"You'll make an amazing field medic," Sideswipe purred, giving him a light kiss that was returned eagerly.

"Will you still be working with the snipers, or will you be only in with the medics?" Sunstreaker asked once he'd gotten his kiss.

"I ... I don't know. It probably depends on what Prowl needs in a battle," Bluestreak was startled by the questions. "I'd guess I'd start sniping and then move to medic as injuries pile up. It's really Prowl's call, once I'm trained. But it's really good to see you both repaired. Have you gotten to clean up and ... I can see you haven't been detailed yet. Maybe we can do that once you get your ration?"

"Came straight to find you and let you know how proud we are," Sideswipe purred, giving him a peck on his lips. "I'll go get our rations while you take care of Sunny." He slipped away while Sunstreaker sat down in Bluestreak's chair, pulling him on his lap. Bluestreak giggled and leaned against his chest, gently tracing the lines of Sunstreaker's armor.

Sunstreaker rumbled quietly in pleasure at that, his own hands gently rubbing circles on Bluestreak's armor.

It took less than a breem for Sideswipe to return with his and his twin's cubes. The three chatted together as they drank their rations, something that continued to the enlisted's washracks where they all spent entirely too long cleaning all traces of the battle from each other's frames, and the walk to the twin's quarters where detailing and touch-up supplies for the three of them were always on hand. Even that went slower than necessary, the three enjoying touching each other far too much.

"Have we said how good doing medic-work looks on you," Sideswipe purred in Bluestreak's audio as they were close to finishing.

"Yes," Bluestreak tried not to moan, but his field flared with arousal anyway.

"Like seeing you working, focused," Sunstreaker agreed, carefully finishing Sideswipe's back as the red twin worked on Bluestreak's sensor wings.

"So sure of yourself and that you're doing the right thing," Sideswipe added.

"It's what I was trained for," Bluestreak shivered. "I liked the work, helping mecha."

"You chose well when you decided you wanted to be a First Responder," Sideswipe purred as he continued to rub.

"Sideswipe is finished," Sunstreaker rumbled, stepping away and around to stand in front of the Praxian. Yellow hands came up to rest on Bluestreak's waist comfortably as the younger twin nuzzled Bluestreak. Bluestreak turned his helm to capture Sunstreaker's lips in a kiss, then slid his glossa along silvery lip plates. It was slow and sweet, as Sunstreaker's mouth parted for his, glossa stroking his.

Sideswipe quickly finished up his work before pressing up against Bluestreak's back and kissed his neck cabling.

A soft moan escaped the Praxian as he tried to press into both contacts, eager, hungry even, for what he'd been without for longer than Prowl had been alive. "Berth."

"You sure?" Sideswipe asked lowly even as Sunstreaker obeyed, lifting the sniper and carrying him to the berth. Bluestreak was set down with utmost care on the padding, and the Praxian reached up to pull Sunstreaker down with him.

"I'm sure," Bluestreak moaned into the next kiss. "I've wanted you both for a very long time."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker let their fields wash over him, full of desire, pride, and love. "You're so good for us, too good," Sideswipe purred in Bluestreak's audio as Sunstreaker kissed him. Sideswipe settled behind the Praxian on the berth, using his body to prop him up while black hands went to work on his sensor wings. Yellow hands moved down Bluestreak's frame, stroking and teasing his sides, hips, outer thighs.

The Praxian moaned, quivering with pleasure and desire to the point where he forgot to return the attention and simply floated between the twins, soaking in what they were offering as his pleasure built. It was fantasy come back to life. Hands stroked, teased, tormented, and raised him up. Their mouths, their hands, and their fields filled his awareness. Their own pleasure flared with every sound they drew out of him and it was even better than their touch for Bluestreak. It was a very real reminder of why he'd fallen in love with them in the first place: they not only cared about his pleasure, they enjoyed it.

"So beautiful," Sideswipe whispered between kisses to Bluestreak's neck and helm.

Sunstreaker just barely nipped Bluestreak's lower lip before nuzzling his cheek. "Love the way you look lost in pleasure," he rumbled. Two pairs of hands continued to play Bluestreak's frame like an instrument, black on his upper half and yellow on the lower.

"Overload for us. Let us _hear_ your pleasure," Sideswipe purred.

Bluestreak's gasps stuttered briefly at the suggestion-order, and he let himself go with a high-pitched keen as his frame stiffened between them. His field flared out, hot and thick with charge to batter the twins with the intensity of his pleasure. Their own fields answered his, coaxing the overload to last a few nanokliks longer.

When he slumped between them, Sideswipe was there to kiss him as Sunstreaker's mouth moved down his frame. "Hope you're not done," Sideswipe said as the kiss ended.

"I have more in me," Bluestreak moaned at touching and tried to return it. "Please ... I want your spikes, your sparks."

"You'll have them. Sunny's just getting you warmed back up," Sideswipe promised, and Bluestreak felt the yellow mech shift so that he could easily reach Bluestreak's valve with his mouth. "How do you want our spikes?" Sideswipe continued, purring at the touches.

The cover immediately snapped open for the yellow twin, and then a glossa was buried in slick heat. For a long klik Bluestreak could only keen at the pleasure building between his legs, but he eventually found his voice between heated kisses with Sideswipe. "Both together. Want to feel you rubbing against each other inside me."

"We can try that. Going to have to be careful, though, with how long it's been," Sideswipe purred as Sunstreaker's glossa and fingers began the pleasurable torment of getting him relaxed and stretched.

"I'm --ahh -- willing," Bluestreak gasped out as he leaned back into Sideswipe and reached down to stroke Sunstreaker's helm vents while his hips bucked lightly into the pleasure he hadn't felt in ages.

Sunstreaker rumbled against his valve, his own field washing desire over the Praxian as his glossa and fingers moved in the tight space.

"He's telling me how good you taste," Sideswipe purred. "How tight you are. It'll feel so good to be in you." He kissed Bluestreak deeply, his own glossa imitating his brother's in the Praxian's mouth as anticipation flooded his field.

Bluestreak shuddered into the dual contact, his ability to think lost once more in the pleasure and the promise. He only just managed to keep rubbing Sunstreaker's helm fins as his charge surged once more. Sideswipe rumbled in pleasure, both his own and what he was feeling through Bluestreak's field. His own spike cover snapped open at the promise of what was to come and he rubbed it against Bluestreak's aft. "Want you," he growled against the Praxian's lips. "Want you hot and dripping and squeezing my spike as you overload."

A core-deep shudder passed through Bluestreak. "Want that. Want you. Please. _Now_. Want you so bad."

With the ease that came from the bond, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker maneuvered them so that the red twin was leaning back, and guided Bluestreak onto his spike. Sideswipe tried to savor the feeling of Bluestreak's valve sinking onto him, but the gray mech was too eager, sliding easily down. The ripple-squeeze of that valve dragged a deep moan from Sideswipe, and nearly as heated a one from Sunstreaker as he worked a finger in alongside his brother's spike.

"Primus, so tight, so slick, so hot, so _perfect_ ," Sideswipe nearly keened as he bucked into the last of seating himself fully.

"You are," Bluestreak's frame arched in a display that made Sunstreaker's engine rev hard. Despite the awkward position, Bluestreak managed to lift his hips up before dropping them down.

"Yes!" Sideswipe howled.

Bluestreak did it again, and then cried out when the next one had Sideswipe surging up to meet him with a second finger from Sunstreaker. It had been a lifetime since he'd been stretched so far he couldn't think.

"Smell so good, taste even better," Sunstreaker growled, bond wide open with his twin. The pleasure of the interfacing pair was intoxicating and almost enough to pull Sunstreaker into an overload with them.

"My turn," Sunstreaker growled as the other two relaxed, surging up to claim a demanding kiss from Bluestreak.

"Mmm, what do you think about one of us on either end?" Sideswipe asked, his hands sliding up to fondle Bluestreak's sensor wing joints.

"Love it," Bluestreak moaned indulgently. His valve tightened around the spike still inside him as Sunstreaker helped lift his hips up so Sideswipe could pull out, then shift further up the berth while Sunstreaker covered their lax lover and claimed a heated kiss.

"Ready for me, beautiful?" Sunstreaker rubbed his spike along the Bluestreak's valve array.

"Yes, please," Bluestreak replied eagerly. He hooked his legs around his yellow lover's hips and tilted his own to rub his valve platelets over the head of Sunstreaker's spike before it sank in with a heady groan from them both. As Sunstreaker stilled, his frame shaking over Bluestreak's prone one, Sideswipe settle just above Bluestreak's helm and gently tilled Bluestreak's helm back so his spike could rub against the soft silver lips.

Bluestreak's mouth parted with a moan to lick the head as Sunstreaker pulled back, and then as one both of them pressed in.

"So perfect," both twins moaned in unison as their spikes sank into the so-willing frame that eagerly squeezed and rippled around them. Bluestreak grabbed Sideswipe's hips to encourage him to move while his hips and legs egged on Sunstreaker.

Yellow hands gripped Bluestreak's hips as they began slowly pumping into him. One of Sideswipe's hands stroked Bluestreak's chevron and he braced the other on his twin's shoulder. Pleasure rolled through their fields in waves to be matched and enhanced by the pleasure pouring off Bluestreak. "Oh yeah, so good," Sideswipe said, his optics flickering off as he focused on what he was feeling instead. It was amazing, to have such a willing lover that wanted this, not because it was flirting with danger, but because he cared about _them_.

~Yeah, it rocks,~ Sunstreaker moaned across the bond. He was struggling to maintain his pace, to keep going until the others were ready, but they'd had an overload and he hadn't yet.

~And we're keeping him,~ Sideswipe replied, moaning a counterpoint to Sunstreaker's grunts. "Yes, Blue..."

~Yes,~ Sunstreaker shuddered and jerked forwarded with a startled roar as his transfluid surged into Bluestreak.

Sideswipe trembled as his twin's overload washed over the bond, and Bluestreak's cry vibrated his spike as the gray mech's charge crackled along the sensitive metal. It was only a few kliks later before he followed them with a roar of his own. Bluestreak eagerly swallowed, his intake working the spike to draw the pleasure out until Sideswipe slumped forward, needing his brother's support.

Gradually Sideswipe drew his spike out, shivering at every licking swallow until Bluestreak kissed the tip.

"That was amazing," Sunstreaker grinned at him, still a bit dazed.

"Really amazing," Bluestreak added as he continued to fondle Sideswipe's hips. "Could really use a nap now though, with you both."

"Nap sounds good," Sideswipe managed to gasp, even as his spike retracted and the panel closed.

"Mmm yeah, we can do more when we wake, if we want," Sunstreaker agreed, pulling out of his lover and closing up himself. The two of them shifted so that they could settle on the berth, hands stroking Bluestreak to soothe and found a lover that snuggled into it. Bluestreak didn't need soothing for the first time in a very long time, and he was radiating his joy at the fact.

It took only kliks for the three to settle together, one twin on each side of Bluestreak, protecting him from anything that might come, and they all shut down into a warm, sated recharge.


End file.
